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The Mystery of Bragg Peak: How Can Particle Therapy Minimize Damage to Healthy Tissue Near Tumors?
Particle therapy is a form of external radiation therapy that uses high-energy neutrons, protons, or heavier positive ions to treat cancer. Compared with X-rays (photon beams) used in the past, particle beams exhibit a special energy loss characteristic called the Bragg peak. This allows the radiation dose to be concentrated near the tumor, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
In traditional radiation therapy, the distribution of radiation dose cannot accurately match the shape of the tumor, while particle therapy can precisely align to the shape of the tumor with its unique energy deposition characteristics.
How particle therapy works
Particle therapy works by precisely targeting the tumor with high-energy ion particles. These particles cause damage to the DNA of tissue cells, ultimately leading to their death. Tumor cells are particularly vulnerable to this damage due to their low ability to repair DNA.
During the penetration process of particles, the dose first increases, then reaches the Bragg peak, and then decreases rapidly. This feature minimizes radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
Types of particle therapy treatment
Proton therapy
Proton therapy is a form of particle therapy that mainly uses proton beams to irradiate diseased tissues, especially cancer. The main advantage of proton therapy is that the dose is deposited over a narrow depth range, resulting in virtually no significant incident or scattered radiation dose to healthy tissue.
The high dose rates of proton beams have enabled significant advances in radiotherapy, and the specific properties of the Bragg peak can further enhance treatment effects.
Carbon ion therapy
Carbon ion therapy, which uses particles heavier than protons or neutrons to deliver radiation, plays an increasingly important role in cancer treatment. The relative biological potency of carbon ions increases with depth, providing a powerful attack against tumors.
As of 2017, more than 15,000 patients around the world have received carbon ion therapy, and Japan is undoubtedly the global leader in consolidating the clinical application of this technology.
Biological advantages and development potential
From the perspective of radiation biology, heavy ion therapy has obvious advantages in cancer treatment. Carbon ions exhibit higher biological potency relative to protons, causing DNA double-strand breaks deep within tumors, making it more difficult for tumor cells to repair, thereby increasing the success rate of treatment.
Technical challenges and future prospects
Although particle therapy poses many technical challenges, such as the impact of movement of tumor location on treatment accuracy, existing advanced technologies have begun to address these issues. Through tumor location monitoring and advanced irradiation technology, treatment outcomes continue to improve.
This means that the accuracy and effectiveness of particle therapy are expected to be further improved in the future, paving the way for full utilization of its therapeutic potential.
Conclusion
In summary, particle therapy provides new possibilities for cancer treatment due to its unique Bragg peak effect. In addition to reducing damage to surrounding healthy tissue, this therapy also helps improve the effectiveness of the treatment. However, in the face of the rapid development of this technology, we cannot help but ask: Will particle therapy become the mainstream choice for cancer treatment in the future?
