Is Proton Therapy Safer Than Traditional Radiotherapy?

Medically reviewed by Dr Johann Tang, Senior Consultant Radiation Oncologist

Proton Therapy, also known as Proton Beam Therapy, is a new type of Radiation Therapy that has shown promise in reducing side effects, while still remaining effective as a form of cancer intervention. Radiation Therapy as a whole is already becoming more popular as a safe and proven treatment for certain cancers due to medical advancements and better imaging technologies. 

Proton Therapy can build on these developments to serve as a treatment modality that minimises the side effects encountered by the patient while keeping cure rates steady. In this article, we take a deeper dive into how Proton Therapy works and why it’s safer than traditional Radiotherapy.

Learn More: How External Beam Radiation Therapies Treat Cancer

What is Proton Therapy

Typical Radiation Therapy in Singapore uses photon radiation via x-ray beams to target and destroy tumours. This works to damage the DNA of cancer cells and slowly kill them off over multiple treatments. Inevitably, some of the radiation gets deposited into normal tissues beyond those targeted by the therapy, causing several localised side effects that can range from minor to severe.

Proton Therapy remedies these issues to some extent by using positively charged protons as opposed to photon radiation. These charged protons do not scatter as they enter the body and tend to deliver most of their radiation dose to the cancer cells. The proton particles can be calibrated to stop at the tumour, and very little residual radiation is released beyond the target. Damage to normal healthy tissue is thereby heavily reduced.

Why Is Proton Therapy Safer?

The main risk of Radiation Treatment lies in damage to healthy tissue. Even with sophisticated imaging from CT scans and MRIs, some level of photon radiation is guaranteed to affect normal cell DNA. In most cases, the benefits of killing off the cancer cells outweigh the risks to healthy tissue. 

With Proton Therapy, patients may no longer have to weigh the downsides as it is a more targeted approach that reduces damage to tissue around the tumour. Hence, Proton Therapy may be recommended for cancers that are in more sensitive parts of the body such as the spinal cord, eyes, and brain.

Traditional Radiotherapy can also cause secondary cancers in normal organs due to the radiation used to kill the tumours. The lower doses received by normal organs during Proton Therapy can also help in these situations by reducing the risk of secondary cancers occurring due to the treatment.

Are There Any Risks To Proton Therapy?

As with any medical treatment, and especially cancer treatments, there are several risks and side effects associated with Proton Therapy. Even though Radiation Oncologists have better control over where Proton Therapy releases the highest amount of energy, small amounts of radiation will still get absorbed by normal tissue.

Common Side Effects Of Proton Therapy Include:

• Fatigue
• Hair loss around the area of your body being treated
• Localised skin redness
• Soreness around treatment area

These side effects generally overlap with those from traditional Radiotherapy although research suggests the incidence of such side effects is reduced with Proton Therapy.

It’s important to note that Proton Therapy in Singapore is not more effective than traditional Radiotherapy. Clinical studies have not conclusively proved that one treatment modality is better at treating cancers than the other. 

Instead, the real strength of Proton Therapy comes from the technology that allows it to deliver radiation doses more accurately to the target areas while sparing the surrounding tissue much more effectively. This makes it a much safer alternative to conventional Radiation Therapy treatments.

As a Radiation Oncologist in Singapore for over two decades, Dr Johann Tang has experience in treating patients with both traditional Radiotherapy and Proton Therapy. Contact us today to learn more about the services we offer and set up an appointment with our clinic.