There are many different types of cancer treatments out there, and many different cancer treatment centers all over the country that offer specialized, compassionate care. Which one is right for you?
When choosing a cancer center, you want to look at a variety of factors. One major factor is the types of treatments they offer and whether or not they offer specialized treatments and innovative technology. When you’re fighting cancer, you want to make sure that you’re receiving the very best in care and treatment every step of the way.
Photo Credit: Anna Shvets
Many cancer centers are offering innovative treatments such as proton therapy, a tailor-made radiation treatment that targets the tumor, while sparing healthy surrounding tissues. Proton therapy can be used to treat many different cancers, including lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, head & neck cancer, brain cancer, cancers of the GI tract, and more.
Proton therapy uses the energy from positively charged particles, called protons (remember those from science class?) to target both malignant and benign tumors. Because it specifically targets the tumors, it is less likely to cause damage to surrounding organs or tissues, and you’ll receive less overall radiation than other types of treatments. Many patients state that they feel better after these treatments than they would when undergoing other cancer treatments. Proton therapy is still very new in the medical field, but so far has seen quite good results in patients with a variety of different cancers.
If you think this type of treatment is right for you, contact a proton therapy center to discuss your specific case. You can tour the facilities, speak with doctors and staff and talk about your specific case, to see if this type of therapy is a good fit for you. Because proton therapy treatments have worked so successfully for so many different patients, it’s a good chance that it will work for you, too.
Since proton therapy treatments are such new technology, there aren’t many studies out there yet, but the preliminary findings are very good, with cancer patients who underwent this type of therapy showing less recurrence and high success rates of recovery. While proton therapy is not widely available in the United States (yet), there are a number of cancer treatment centers who are starting to offer this innovative therapy, so speak to your doctor to find out if one is near you.
Proton therapy treatments are a much healthier option for those who are undergoing radiation treatment. Studies show that proton therapy does less damage to the heart, lungs and other internal rgans, and patients who underwent proton therapy treatments had less recurrences of cancer than other patients.
If you are a cancer patient and feel that proton therapy and other innovative cancer-treatments are right for you, contact your local cancer center today, or ask your primary care provider for a referral. With the right team, you can receive treatments from an experienced and compassionate staff who will work around the clock to help you get well.