Jul
Treating Breast Cancer with Protons
Based on the results of a recent clinical trial at Loma Linda University Medical Center, researchers found that proton radiation therapy can actually serve as a beneficial treatment for fighting early-stage breast cancer. Dr. David Bush, vice chairman of the Department of Radiation Medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center, had this to say about their findings: ”The study results show that we are able to offer early stage breast cancer patients a treatment program that is less risky and can be completed in less time.”
Typically women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have to undergo surgery to remove the tumor, followed by conventional radiation therapy over the entire breast. As a result, they are forced to experience the many unpleasant side effects of traditional radiation treatment. With proton beam therapy, however, the beam is much more precise and can target the affected area without the need for radiation on the entire breast.
Vicki Ramirez, a breast cancer survivor who participated in the study at Loma Linda University, had this to say: “The hope that I wouldn’t have to have chemotherapy was very appealing.” Now she has been cancer-free for five years and couldn’t be more thankful for undergoing proton therapy.
