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The charm of particle therapy: Why can this treatment attack cancer cells more accurately?
In the fight against cancer, scientists are constantly exploring new technologies to improve the precision and effectiveness of treatments. Among them, particle therapy, as an advanced radiation therapy technology, has gradually attracted widespread attention. This treatment uses positively charged particles, such as protons or other heavy particles, to specifically target the tumor and minimize damage to surrounding normal tissue.
Compared to conventional X-ray (photon beam) therapy, particle therapy displays a narrow peak in energy release, which allows it to cause minimal damage to healthy tissue surrounding the tumor.
The most striking feature of particle therapy is the so-called "Bragg peak", which is a characteristic of the particles losing energy in tissue. In particle therapy, the particles release a high radiation dose when they come into contact with the tumor, meaning they deliver treatment precisely around the tumor. This property makes particle therapy safer and more effective when dealing with cancers that invade adjacent normal tissues.
Principles of Particle Therapy
The basic principle of particle therapy is to accelerate charged particles using an accelerator (such as a cyclotron or synchrotron) and make them hit the tumor. These particles damage the cell’s DNA, leading to the death of the cancer cells. Since cancer cells are often poorly able to repair DNA damage, they can be effectively eliminated with this type of treatment.
The key to this technology is that particles can achieve precise radiation in three dimensions by adjusting energy and range, perfectly covering the shape of the tumor, which is superior to traditional X-ray treatment.
Different Types of Particle Therapy
Currently, the most common type of particle therapy is proton therapy, which has fewer side effects and higher dose accuracy than other radiation therapies. The release of proton energy is mainly concentrated at the depth of the tumor, and the damage to the surrounding healthy tissue is almost negligible.
Another type of particle therapy is carbon ion therapy, which can be used to treat more types of cancer, especially tumors that are more resistant to radiation. The efficacy of carbon ion therapy has been demonstrated in multiple clinical studies, and tens of thousands of patients have benefited from it since it was first introduced in 1994.
The high biological effect of carbon ion therapy makes it difficult for cancer cells to repair their own DNA damage, showing its advantage in cancer treatment.
Fast-neutron therapy is also a common particle therapy that uses high-energy neutrons to treat cancer. It is only available in a few countries, but its therapeutic potential cannot be ignored.
Response to mobile tumors
Another challenge is that when tumors are located in the chest or abdomen, they may move with physiological activities such as breathing. To address this issue, particle therapy uses advanced tumor position monitoring technology to ensure accurate positioning of the tumor during treatment, thereby improving the effectiveness of treatment.
Further developments in these technologies strengthen the potential of particle therapy in the fight against cancer, bringing greater hope to patients.
With the development of technology, the number of particle therapy centers around the world is gradually increasing. According to the latest data, as of 2021, there are 29 proton therapy facilities and 8 carbon ion therapy facilities in operation around the world. With the continuous deepening of scientific research and clinical application of particle therapy, this revolutionary treatment method will undoubtedly become an important weapon in the fight against cancer in the future.
Can particle therapy become the future mainstream method of cancer treatment? Can it benefit more patients in the near future?
