As informed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), it is aware of advances in proton therapy, a type of Radiation therapy, which is also called proton beam therapy. It uses protons rather than x-rays to treat cancer. At high energy, protons can destroy cancer cells. It can also be combined with x-ray radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and/or immunotherapy. Like x-ray radiation, proton therapy is a type of external-beam radiation therapy.
In the Government sector, research activities for detection and treatment of cancer are mostly carried out by Institutions/Departments such as Indian Council of Medical Research, Department of Science and Technology and Department of Atomic Energy. National Cancer Institute (Jhajjar) of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi has also collaborated with National Cancer Institute of USA. As informed by Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), a grant-in-aid Institution under Department of Atomic Energy, it has initiated collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), C-CAD, RRCAT, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), KEK university Japan etc
Proton therapy is used as a treatment for cancer and some noncancerous tumors. Proton therapy may be used as the only treatment for your condition. Or it may be used in conjunction with other treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy.
Proton therapy is sometimes used to treat certain conditions, such as:
- Brain tumors
- Cancer in children
- Eye melanoma
- Head and neck cancers
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Pituitary gland tumors
- Prostate cancer
- Tumors affecting the spine
- Tumors in the base of the skull
Clinical trials are investigating proton therapy as a treatment for other cancers, such as:
- Anal cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Lymphoma
- Pancreatic cancer
- Soft tissue sarcoma