Proton therapy can allow doctors to produce higher levels of radiation while zeroing in on the tumor. Traditional radiation treatment can also pinpoint the tumor but it does so with a lower level of radiation. What is promising about Proton therapy is that it targets the cancer but can spare the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor. Proton therapy can also decrease side effects such as loss of appetite, diarrhea and headaches.
Proton therapy does not come cheap. It is about three times the cost of traditional radiation. Doctors at MD Anderson are using Proton beam treatments mostly on patients who's cancers are very early in development.
At this point more studies need to be done to see if the Proton therapy is better and worth the higher cost. Traditional radiation has come a long way over the years and recent developments have made it safer to use.
1. Another treatment is Photodynamic Therapy For Cancer
This article focuses on the use of PhotoDynamic Therapy (PDT) for illnesses and diseases. This treatment by light, unlike ultraviolet, infrared and the highly concentrated light of the laser, is said to offer a unique solution for those suffering from cancer as it does not require hospitalization, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or immunotherapy.
The types of cancer currently being treated by PDT in clinics around the world include Melanoma, Brain, Head, Neck, Oesophagus, Lung, breast, Stomach, Pancreas, Liver, Colon, Ovarian and Prostrate. Pre-cancerous lesions (actinic keratoses) are also said to be treatable using PDT. This therapy can be used to treat not only superficial tumours but large tumours as well and is not contraindicated if other therapies, such as chemo, radiation, etc., are utilized concurrently with it.
According to the author, there is on-going research into the possibility of addressing other types of cancer. Research into other new types of photosensitizing agents is also being carried by Russian pharmaceutical company Radapharma which has developed Radachlorin (Photostem, PhotoFlora), which is a chemically treated form of Spirulina. And in places like the Ukraine, where PDT is well-accepted, herbs like St John's Wort are proving to be of particular research interest.
The Leeds Centre for Photobiology and PDT and the National Medical Laser Centre at the University College of London, PDT is also being studied in non-oncology related illnesses including the treatment of atherosclerosis and both rheumatoid and inflammatory arthritis, among other diseases.
The author concludes that a study for the treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration with PDT was performed in 22 centres in Europe and the US resulted in stable or improved vision in 61% of patients treated with PDT with virtually no side-effects.
http://www.positivehealth.com/test/articles.asp?i=1831&b=1
Posted at 1:25AM on Aug 28th 2006 by Gregory D. Pawelski