Proton Beam Therapy
Proton therapy is simply a beam of protons accurately delivered to a target in a fashion identical to intensity- modulated radiation therapy which uses photons (IMRT ). So, just like IMRT, patients visit a specialized facility and are treated daily on an outpatient basis. A typical treatment session lasts 15 to 20 minutes with most of that time devoted to patient positioning. The treatment delivery—beam-on-time—is usually less than 60 seconds. Unlike the photon radiation used in IMRT, protons come to an abrupt stop at their target point within the body.
Carl Rossi, MD is a radiation oncologist specializing in proton beam therapy, specifically for prostate cancer and lymphomas. He is also the current medical director for the Scripps Proton Therapy Center, which will provides treatment to target tumors with high control and precision. In addition to treating a variety of cancers with radiation, it is also used to treat some non-cancerous conditions. Dr. Rossi has a research focus on the quality of life and cure rate in prostate cancer and lymphoma treated with proton beam radiation.