Author Topic: Proton Therapy  (Read 2391 times)

gtseg

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Proton Therapy
« on: January 31, 2015, 04:47:18 pm »
My husband was just diagnosed with an 14mm AN.  I am interested in hearing opinions on the proton therapy approach.
Thanks!

PaulW

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 772
Re: Proton Therapy
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2015, 03:19:59 pm »
Proton therapy is better suited to larger tumours.
Challenges for proton therapy....
Range uncertainty... This is a physics thing.... Like heisenbergs uncertainty principle..
This limits accuracy to 3mm at best. Which means they must zap more to ensure they get all of the tumour.

Treatment is typically to the 120% isodose line critical structures right next to the tumour will receive significantly more radiation than photons... But 5mm away will get less.... Which is good for some tumours but not others.. Acoustic neuromas are often close to the trigeminal nerve and brainstem.
Search pubmed for research papers.. The results are not as good as gamma knife cyberknife or other linac.. Proton therapy has its place and has shown advantages for certain tumours. Small tumours like yours are not proton therapies strengths..

Facial and trigeminal nerve preservation rates are around 90% with proton therapy versus 99% with gammaknife http://www.ro-journal.com/content/7/1/210



10x5x5mm AN
Sudden Partial hearing loss 5/28/10
Diagnosed 7/4/10
CK 7/27/10
2/21/11 Swelling 13x6x7mm
10/16/11 Hearing returned, balance improved. Feel totally back to normal most days
3/1/12 Sudden Hearing loss, steroids, hearing back.
9/16/13 Life is just like before my AN. ALL Good!

PaulW

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 772
Re: Proton Therapy
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2015, 03:37:26 pm »
Some interesting links.... Very technical...

Document showing inaccuracies.... See page 39
http://ptcog.ch/archive/conference_p&t&v/PTCOG52/PresentationsEW/E-10-Palta.pdf

Another interesting article
http://medicalphysicsweb.org/cws/article/research/50584

Range uncertainty...
http://medicalphysicsweb.org/cws/article/multimedia/53352
10x5x5mm AN
Sudden Partial hearing loss 5/28/10
Diagnosed 7/4/10
CK 7/27/10
2/21/11 Swelling 13x6x7mm
10/16/11 Hearing returned, balance improved. Feel totally back to normal most days
3/1/12 Sudden Hearing loss, steroids, hearing back.
9/16/13 Life is just like before my AN. ALL Good!