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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffProton therapy can cause side effects as the cancer cells die or when the energy from the proton beam damages healthy tissue. Because doctors can better control where proton therapy releases its highest concentration of energy, proton therapy is believed to affect less healthy tissue and have fewer side effects than traditional radiation therapy. Still, proton therapy does release some of its energy in healthy tissue. What side effects you experience will depend on what part of your body is being treated and the dose of proton therapy you receive.
In general, common side effects of proton therapy include:
- Fatigue
- Hair loss around the part of your body being treated
- Skin redness around the part of your body being treated
- Soreness around the part of your body being treated
References
- Brada M, et al. Current clinical evidence for proton therapy. Cancer Journal. 2009;15:319.
- Olsen DR, et al. Proton therapy: A systematic review of clinical effectiveness. Radiotherapy and Oncology. 2007;83:123.
- Flanz J, et al. Technology for proton therapy. Cancer Journal. 2009;15:292.
- Devicienti S, et al. Patient positioning in the proton radiotherapy era. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research. 2010;29:47.
- Proton therapy. RadiologyInfo.org. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=protonthera. Accessed Nov. 15, 2010.
- Found 105 studies with search of: proton therapy AND cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=proton+therapy+AND+cancer. Accessed Nov. 23, 2010.
- Levin WP, et al. Proton beam therapy. British Journal of Cancer. 2005;93:849.
- Greco C, et al. Current status of radiotherapy with proton and light ion beams. Cancer. 2007;109:1227.
- Schulz-Ertner D. The clinical experience with particle therapy in adults. Cancer Journal. 2009;15:306.
- Goitein M, et al. Should randomized clinical trials be required for proton radiotherapy? Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2008;26:175.
- Suit H, et al. Should positive phase III clinical trial data be required before proton beam therapy is more widely adopted? No. Radiotherapy and Oncology. 2008;86:148.
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