Target Cancer - Cancers Treated - SAMSUNG PROTON THERAPY CENTER

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Proton therapy for lung cancer

We would like to introduce the details of proton therapy for lung cancer.

Patients who cannot bear surgical operation in the early stage of lung cancer

For patients in the early stage of lung cancer, the cancer can be removed through radiation therapy when the patent cannot undergo surgical operations due to his/her age, physical strength, and concomitant diseases. If the proton treatment is implemented at this point, the radiation dose can be minimized to the normal lung tissues while high level of the radiation dose applies to the site of cancer tissues.
When patients with advanced lung cancer need the protection of the peripheral organs.

In the case of advanced lung cancer, cancer tissues can be treated with radiation and chemotherapy instead of undergoing surgical operations. At this point, the X-ray treatments can transfer a certain level of radiation dose to the peripheral organs including the lungs, esophagus, heart, and spinal cord. However, proton treatment can minimize the radiation dose transferred to the normal organs to implement safe treatment.
Patients with recurrent lung cancer

If the cancer recurs after the radiation therapy, re-treatment is generally not possible through X-ray treatments. However, proton treatment can re-treat patients in this case.

Delicate Radiotherapy is needed because there are major organs near the lungs such as the esophagus and heart.

As enlarging the range of the treatment, the scope of the lungs exposed to the radiation increases proportionally and the radiation dose transferred to the normal organs including esophagus, spinal cord, and heart increases as well. However, proton treatment can limit the radiation dose transferred to the normal organs within a safe range while transferring a sufficient radiation dose to the cancer tissues. Therefore, it can minimize the negative effects to the lungs.

[Proton Therapy compared to the X-ray treatments to treat lung cancer]

Early Lung Cancer

When surgical operations cannot be applied in the early stage of lung cancer, it is reported that 85-100% of the tumor control rate is shown after implementing proton treatment.
Advanced Lung Cancer

When surgical operations cannot be applied to advanced lung cancer, proton treatment is implemented with chemotherapy. It can treat patients safely with lower levels of side effects while transferring higher levels of radiation dosage. It is reported that the outcome of the treatment is more effective than X-ray treatments.

Comparison of the treatment outcomes for advanced lung cancer