Proton therapy has shown promising outcomes in various studies, demonstrating excellent survival rates, and lower rates of side effects compared to conventional radiotherapy. It is a highly effective treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. Additionally, proton therapy may offer significant benefits in reducing toxicity, especially for patients with pre-existing conditions such as pulmonary fibrosis or heart disease.
There is convincing evidence that the amount of radiation that is received by the heart during treatment for lung cancer impacts on the likelihood of treatment success and the risk of serious side effects such as heart attacks or abnormal heart rhythms. Proton beam therapy can significantly reduce the amount of radiation the heart receives during curative radiotherapy for lung cancer. For select patients, I always offer proton beam therapy because of this potential to reduce heart damage.