Different types of radiation interact with the body in different ways. X-rays (also known as photons) are a standard type of radiation, used both to take X-ray pictures and for radiation treatment. Proton therapy is a different type of radiation which uses positively charged particles (protons) from the center (nucleus) of an atom. Proton particles […]

Proton therapy is an advanced radiation treatment that uses a precisely controlled proton beam to destroy cancer cells while reducing radiation to nearby healthy tissue. Conventional X-ray treatment spreads radiation energy along its entire path, through the tumor and into healthy tissue beyond it. But with proton therapy, doctors calibrate the beam to release most […]

Pencil beam scanning is the most advanced form of proton therapy that targets tumors using a narrow, magnetically guided proton beam roughly the width of a pencil tip. The beam delivers radiation spot by spot, layer by layer, allowing oncologists to shape the dose precisely to the tumor while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. Cancer treatment […]

Understanding Your Treatment Options Receiving a cancer diagnosis is overwhelming enough, but making the right treatment choice for you can be equally daunting. At Emory Proton Therapy Center, we specialize in the most advanced form of proton beam therapy, called pencil beam scanning, instead of conventional radiation. Both treatment types use radiation to kill cancer […]

When you’re facing a cancer diagnosis, understanding your treatment options can help you make confident decisions and take some of the fear out of the unknown. Among radiation treatment options, the two main approaches are traditional radiation therapy and proton therapy. Both use radiation to destroy cancer cells, but they deliver radiation in very different […]