Fewer Side Effects, Better Quality of Life
Proton therapy is an important treatment option for many gynecologic tumors. It can deliver high-dose radiation to the tumor with less damage to critical organs in or near the pelvis, including the small bowel, large bowel, bladder, kidneys and pelvic bone marrow. This allows patients to experience fewer side effects and have a better quality of life. Proton therapy also reduces the risk of infertility and other reproductive problems commonly associated with traditional radiation therapy.
Gynecologic Cancers We Treat Include
- Cervical cancer
- Endometrial/uterine cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Vaginal cancer
- Vulvar cancer
- Recurrent gynecologic cancers
Pencil Beam Scanning at the New York Proton Center
Patients at our center receive pencil beam scanning, a highly sophisticated and the most modern form of proton therapy. It uses an extremely narrow beam of protons to “paint” the intended radiation dose onto the tumor. The technology can target specific parts of the tumor with different radiation dose levels, while better protecting the surrounding normal tissues from irradiation.
Not All Proton Therapy Is Created Equal
Many other proton centers use “volumetric” beams that deliver a fixed quantity of energy to the entire tumor. But the pencil beam scanning technology at the New York Proton Center delivers “intensity-modulated proton therapy,” or IMPT.
Widely considered the most advanced form of proton therapy, IMPT can target different parts of the tumor with different radiation dose levels based on the prescription and tumor’s exact location, while better protecting the surrounding normal tissues from irradiation. That’s particularly valuable when treating the most complicated tumors.
