Proton beam radiation therapy
From WikiCover
Proton beam therapy is a new type of cancer treatment. It is a localized form of radiation therapy, in which a beam of protons is focused at a tumor lying deep within the body in order to eradicate the tumor. Proton beam therapy minimizes the unnecessary irradiation to the normal tissue compared with conventional electron beam and x-ray radiation therapy.
On December 27, 2007, Hitachi announced that it has obtained FDA clearance for spot scanning irradiation technology of Hitachi's PROBEAT Proton Beam Therapy System for application at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States. Hitachi America will be the first in this growing market to commercialize proton beam therapy system with spot scanning irradiation technology. The system employs double scatterer technology. This technology involves two scatterers whereby the proton beam is expanded to cover entire tumor profile.
An unperturbed narrow beam is smaller than the typical target cross section and regulated such that prescribed dose spots can be positioned very precisely within a tumor volume. This precise positioning reduces damage to the surrounding healthy tissue, while mitigating constraints related to tumor shape.
On August 2, 2007, OncoLogics announced that it is purchasing a Clinatron-250 proton beam radiation therapy (PBRT) system from Still River Systems.
OncoLogics will become one of a few treatment centers in the nation to commit to this technology, which many in the medical community consider the best way to treat cancer, especially in children and young adults.
Only five U.S. health care facilities have large-scale proton beam radiation therapy systems. They weigh more than 440,000 pounds, require almost 100,000 square feet of space, and carry a price tag upward of $150 million for the equipment and building. A group of physicists and scientists from MIT and other academic proton research facilities have spent years developing a smaller, more economical cyclotron that can produce and deliver protons for radiation therapy. This new technology still comes with a hefty price tag. To date, nine centers have committed to purchasing this new technology -- among them are MD Anderson -- Orlando, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Oklahoma University's Cancer Institute, Tufts New England Medical Center, and OncoLogics.