What are the side effects of photon therapy?

In general, common side effects of proton therapy include:

Fatigue.
Hair loss around the part of your body being treated.
Skin redness around the part of your body being treated.
Soreness around the part of your body being treated.

How does photon beam radiation work?

Photon beams can reach tumors deep in the body. As they travel through the body, photon beams scatter little bits of radiation along their path. These beams do not stop once they reach the tumor but go into normal tissue past it.

What is the difference between proton radiation and photon radiation?

Photons, or X-Rays, are pure energy and have no mass (although Einstein would disagree as energy does have mass). Protons have energy and are relatively massive and heavy. Think of photons as “fluffy” and protons as “portly.” While radiation therapy delivers energy to kill cancer, it also affects healthy cells.

What type of cancer can be treated with proton therapy?

Which types of cancers can be treated with proton therapy? Proton therapy is most commonly used at MSK to treat head and neck cancer and pediatric cancers. We also are using it increasingly to treat spine tumors, breast cancer, sarcoma, brain tumors, and prostate cancer.

What is the difference between radiation and proton therapy?

Radiation Therapy sends energy to cancer cells to kill them. Traditional Radiation Therapy is delivered by photons, the same photons that are light. Proton Therapy delivers the killing energy with protons, the large, heavy elements in the nucleus of an atom. The names are very similar — photon versus proton — but there is a world of difference.

What are the side effects of photon radiation?

Think of photons as “fluffy” and protons as “portly.”. While radiation therapy delivers energy to kill cancer, it also affects healthy cells. In the breast, the most common side effect, a sunburn, occurs as the proton or photon travels through the skin and into the breast.

How successful is proton therapy?

Proton therapy exhibits higher success rates in prostate cancer patients. Patients with low to medium risk prostate cancer experienced a success rate of 99% while those with high risk prostate cancer experienced a success rate of up to 76% compared to conventional radiation.

What are the side effects of proton therapy?

In general, common side effects of proton therapy include: Fatigue. Mouth, eating and digestion problems. Headaches. Hair loss around the part of your body being treated. Skin redness around the part of your body being treated.

What are the side effects of photon therapy? In general, common side effects of proton therapy include: Fatigue. Hair loss around the part of your body being treated. Skin redness around the part of your body being treated. Soreness around the part of your body being treated. How does photon beam radiation work? Photon beams…