A study suggests that proton therapy, which aims to destroy cancerous tumors, has far fewer side effects than its generally used cousin:radiotherapy.
According to data from the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), more than half of cancer patients in France are treated with radiotherapy . The technique aims to target a tumor using a tightly focused beam. This ionizing radiation then destroys cancer cells by fragmenting their DNA.
The method most often used is that of X-rays. Energetic photons are then delivered via beams from different angles to focus at the level of the tumour. The problem is that some of these photos "spill over" onto the surrounding healthy cells, damaging their DNA as well.
In addition, the method often leads to undesirable side effects , such as diarrhea, nausea, difficulty breathing or swallowing, among others.
Radiotherapy has already proven its effectiveness against multiple forms of cancer, but could we benefit from the same results while minimizing the risk of side effects? "Yes “, answers a study.
Unlike radiation therapy, proton therapy does not rely on x-rays but on positively charged ions, primarily hydrogen ions or "protons". These, compared to photons, make it possible to better limit the delivered dose to the targeted volumes. This further spares adjacent surrounding healthy tissue, and limits the "full" dose received by the patient.
Proton therapy has been known for a long time. It is generally used in patients where the precision of the irradiation is very critical, when the cancer is located near organs sensitive to radiation, in particular.
Until now, however, the long-term consequences of this technique and its potential toxicity had not really been studied. Brian Baumann of the University of Pennsylvania recently compared the two forms of radiation. He details his work in the journal JAMA Oncology .
For this study, the researcher followed for several months 1,092 patients treated with radiotherapy, and 391 treated with proton therapy. The one-year overall survival for the proton therapy group was 83% versus 81% for the radiotherapy group. So there is a very slight difference, but not statistically significant.
On the other hand, the results were very different regarding side effects. After controlling for age differences and other risk factors, patients receiving proton therapy experienced a two-thirds reduction in relative risk of serious side effects in the first 90 years. processing days compared to the other group.
"This is exciting because it shows that proton therapy offers us a way to reduce serious side effects and patient well-being without sacrificing the efficacy of therapy “, explains the researcher.
If it has remained in the shadow of radiotherapy, it is mainly because of the costs. For the construction of the building and the acquisition of the equipment, it is indeed necessary to count an investment of between 40 and 60 million euros. The session itself costs a little over 1,000 euros. To date, there are only three dedicated centers in France:in Orsay, Nice and Caen.
These costs should however be able to drop over the next few years if more centers take the plunge.
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