National Cancer Center Proton Therapy Korea

What is proton therapy?
• Proton therapy is a type of radiotherapy. Radiotherapy uses X-rays or electron beams to destroy cancer cells. X-rays, which are mostly used in radiotherapy, also damage neighboring healthy cells. Proton beams, unlike X-rays, release most of their energy when they reach the tumor cells. After this point, their energy decreases dramatically. The location where the most energy is released is called the ‘Bragg Peak’. As the proton beam primarily targets tumor cells, avoiding the surrounding healthy tissue, patients given proton therapy tend to enjoy better lifestyles during and after treatment compared with those treated with conventional X-rays. The location of the Bragg Peak.
  Varies according to the strength of the beam and the tissues it passes through. By controlling the strength of the proton beam, we can precisely target the tumor and destroy it. More