Highly Accurate, Less Invasive Cancer Treatment With Proton Therapy
California Protons uses revolutionary proton beam technology to help fight cancer with unmatched precision and the utmost care.
What is Proton Therapy?
Proton therapy is a highly accurate and much less invasive form of cancer treatment. Protons are subatomic particles with a positive charge that can be manipulated and controlled to stop and deliver radiation directly at a tumor, traveling no further than the exterior tumor wall. This is particularly beneficial to those who are vulnerable to radiation or have received prior radiation either to or immediately adjacent to the area that needs to be treated.
Who Is A Candidate For Proton Therapy?
Proton therapy may be the best treatment option for you depending on factors such as:
- How close the cancer is to other critical organs or tissues
- Other types of cancer treatment that you may need
- Your age and overall health, including other health conditions
Proton radiation therapy can be used exclusively, or in combination with surgery and chemotherapy, to treat numerous types of cancers and tumors, including but not limited to:
How Does Proton Therapy Work?
Clinics specializing in proton therapy extract protons from hydrogen atoms, ionize (or electrically charge) those protons, and use them to precisely deliver a beam of protons to destroy tumor cells. The benefit of using protons, as opposed to X-ray or gamma-ray particles, is that it minimizes damage to healthy tissue during treatment. For that reason, it tends to be a safer, more precise alternative to traditional radiation therapy.
What To Expect During Proton Therapy
Proton therapy is a noninvasive and often painless treatment, during which patients feel no physical sensation from the proton beam, hear very little noise, and experience minimal discomfort. Unlike the older technology, each treatment session takes around 30 minutes, with the actual treatment time taking only 1 to 3 minutes. Full two-way video and audio allow medical team members and patients to communicate throughout the process.
Our Pencil Beam Scanning Technology
Precisely delivered within 2 millimeters, our pencil beam scanning technology (known as Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy or IMPT) releases a high dose of cancer-killing radiation that conforms to the unique shape and size of the tumor. Even in hard-to-scan places, our doctors can direct and manipulate the beam of protons to stop precisely at the edge of the tumor to spare healthy tissues and surrounding organs.
Unlike older passive-scattering proton therapy treatment, our proton center’s pencil beam scanning technology further enhances the precision of the radiation delivered. By enabling physicians to fine-tune the range and intensity of the proton beam, we can sweep a narrow proton beam across the tumor in fine strokes, while increasing intensity and dose layer by layer inside the tumor. California Protons was the first proton clinic in the nation to offer pencil beam proton technology in all five of our treatment rooms.
Benefits of Proton Therapy Beam Technology
Proton therapy offers several benefits that other cancer treatments do not. Advantages to proton therapy treatment include:
Laser-like precision
Protons can be manipulated to stop and deliver radiation directly at a tumor and no further.
Radiation dose variation
Proton therapy allows physicians to vary the intensity of the radiation dose at any point within the tumor, which was not possible with other technologies.
Treatment for many tumor types
Our proton therapy technology expands the treatment options to treat larger and more irregularly shaped tumors. It also allows more types of tumors to be treated compared to what was possible with passively scattered protons.
Lower incidence of secondary tumors
Reduced radiation toxicity results in a lower incidence of secondary tumors compared to standard X-ray radiation.
Minimal side effects
Because proton therapy spares healthy tissue surrounding a tumor, side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, headache and loss of appetite are less likely. After treatment, most patients resume their daily routines.
Fast treatment time
We replaced the heavy, cumbersome devices of older passive-scattering proton technology with pencil beam scanning. Unlike the older technology, our treatment plan can be loaded into the computer and completed within a matter of minutes so that patients can get back to their lives quicker.
Personalized care
Our world-renowned medical team is committed to providing the most personalized, comprehensive cancer care for our patients, and offers the latest in medical advancements and technology. Learn More
Types of Cancers Proton Therapy Treats
Proton therapy is most effective when treating cancers that have not spread, or when targeting tumors that are in or near critical areas of the body (like the lungs, heart, and brain). At California Protons, we use proton therapy to treat these types of cancer:
Anal
Bladder
Breast
Brain and spine
Colon
Esophageal
Gastrointestinal
Head and neck
Liver
Lung
Lymphoma
Nasal
Pancreatic and bile duct
Pediatric
Prostate
Rectal
Recurrent and secondary
Sarcoma
Stomach
Testicular
Throat
Thyroid
WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF PROTON THERAPY?
In many cases, side effects associated with external beam radiation therapy such as diarrhea, headache and loss of appetite are fewer with proton therapy than with X-ray therapy. Most patients are able to continue their usual activities throughout their treatment, including working, exercising and socializing. However, all cancer treatments have advantages and disadvantages. Be sure to discuss potential complications and side effects, as well as treatment options, with your oncologist.
Learn MoreProton Therapy vs.
Standard X-ray Radiation
Standard X-ray and proton radiation are both types of “external beam” radiotherapy used to treat various types of cancers. However, the properties of each are very different and result in varying levels of radiation exposure. Standard X-ray treatment beams deposit energy along their paths before reaching the tumor, thus delivering unnecessary and potentially harmful radiation to healthy tissues and surrounding organs. Proton therapy doses, on the other hand, can be controlled to deposit most of the energy inside the tumor.
X-Ray Radiation
- Contains no mass or electric charge
- Highly penetrating rays can deliver radiation throughout any volume of tissue
- Rays deposit most of the initial dose of radiation (entry dose) close to the patient’s skin, while interacting with the healthy cells closer to the surface, and then drop the remaining dose of ionizing radiation on the deeper diseased cells
- Rays continue to emit radiation as they naturally pass through the body (exit dose) similar to X-ray imaging
Pencil Beam Proton Therapy Radiation
- Proton beam made up of heavy, charged particles
- Protons enter the body and deposit only a small dose along the way to the target and virtually none beyond it
- The absorbed dose increases very gradually with greater dose and lower speed until the beam reaches the Bragg peak—the point at which the maximum energy is deposited—which is directed exactly within the tumor site
- Immediately after this burst of energy, the proton beam comes to a complete stop, and any additional radiation ceases
Proton Therapy For Cancer: Why Choose California Protons
At California Proton Cancer Therapy Center, our world-renowned oncologists use revolutionary technology and imaging devices to bring the highest levels of personalized care to our patients. The results? Strong cure rates, reduced side effects, improved outcomes — and a chance for a better tomorrow. To see the facility where we provide an unparalleled level of clinical care, please take a virtual tour of our center. Or call us at 858-299-5984.
Questions about proton therapy? We can help.
Proton Therapy FAQ Therapy
How do you prepare for proton therapy?
Our support team members help patients find support groups and address any hardships that arise. For patients and their families who are traveling from out of town, we help locate housing and transportation in San Diego. Our dietitian works with patients to develop a dietary plan to help them feel their best during treatment. Learn more about planning your visit.
How long does each proton therapy take?
Unlike older technology, the average treatment session takes around 30 minutes. Changing clothes, then being prepped and positioned on the treatment table takes up the majority of time. The actual treatment time only takes around 1–3 minutes.
Is proton therapy covered by insurance?
California Protons contracts with many private insurances, as well as Medicare. Although our Insurance Team works closely with each patient to help you navigate the process, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to coverage. If an insurance company initially denies services, the Insurance Team assists with the appeal process. Fortunately, we are often successful with the appeal process.