Two of the most common cancer treatments on the market are the conventional forms of radiotherapy and chemotherapy but there are two other types that are making progress for more possibilities in the future called proton beam therapy and immunotherapy. Advancement in medical equipment that is becoming more readily available is making these options more of a reality for many patients seeking treatment. Proton beam therapy is like radiotherapy in which energy beams of particles are targeted on a patient in the area where the tumor is located but it differs by using protons instead of photons or x-rays. In current treatments, the use of the MR-Linac machines has been successfully able to locate the position of the tumor and increase the doses in treatment due to higher efficiency. Once the technology becomes available for proton beam therapy, healthcare is expecting to see a large decline of waiting times for treatments to be performed. Although it is expected to still take quite some time until this new treatment to be ready for the private healthcare and even public, when it is finally ready it gives great hopes for making cancer treatments easier, less costly, and more survivable.
To read more about proton beam therapy in a recent article, click here
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