Is Proton Therapy Available in Israel?

Recently, there has been much talk about proton therapy, a new, very expensive cancer treatment option. Sometimes, on the Internet, one can find offers to have proton therapy in Israel. Is it available? Moreover: is this treatment option truly more effective than conventional radiotherapy?

What Is Proton Therapy?

Proton therapy implies irradiation with beams of nuclear particles, or protons. These particles are accelerated to over 50% of light speed. They are able to penetrate the human body to the depth of about 40cm. This type of radiation therapy is considered more advantageous because it helps spread the radiation dose adequately across the depth.

On their way to the tumor, protons lose only a small fraction of their energy so the tissues in their way receive minimal radiation. The tumor is subject to the most radiation exposure. The tissues behind the tumor receive no radiation whatsoever. Therefore, similar to other advanced radiotherapy techniques, proton therapy targets the tumor and delivers high doses of radiation while preserving healthy organs and tissues.

A proton accelerator costs about 100 million dollars for a clinic. The maintenance of this machine requires a team of top-class specialists: nuclear physicists, physicians of various specialties, etc. This means that the cost of such treatment for the patients is very high. Are these expenses reasonable? Let’s look into this matter.

In What Cases May Proton Therapy Be Used?

Due to the fact that physicians started using proton therapy not long ago, the studies confirming its effectiveness and safety are limited. Here’s what is known today about the action of proton therapy towards some types of malignant tumors:

Surgery and Radiotherapy within 1.5 Hours

The conventional external beam radiation therapy that requires frequent irradiation sessions to treat the tumor and nearby tissues, is gradually becoming history. In Israel, physicians have been successfully using intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) for several years already. Nowadays, this procedure is mainly recommended for breast cancer. However, the doctors have already used it for stomach cancer, colon cancer, bone sarcoma, lung cancer, and lymphoma.

The tumor bed is irradiated directly during surgery. After that, most patients do not need any additional postoperative radiotherapy.

An Israeli study of 475 breast cancer patients has shown that the new method is as effective as conventional radiation therapy that takes a month to complete.

The advantages of proton therapy are evident when treating certain types of cancer in children. For instance, it has been proved that in retinoblastoma (malignant tumor of the retina detected at a young age), use of proton therapy leads to some reduction in the recurrence rates. As for malignant tumors in adults, the effectiveness and safety of this type of treatment are comparable to those of conventional radiotherapy. Most often (in about 70% of cases), proton therapy is used for prostate cancer. However, recent clinical trials have shown that IMRT (intensity-modulated radiotherapy) is just as effective against the disease. The same goes for brachytherapy, or radiation from an internal source placed near or inside the tumor.

One should remember that the cost of proton therapy is significantly higher than the cost of IMRT or brachytherapy. Besides, this type of treatment is only available in a few clinics in the world. Uveal (eye) melanoma is another type of cancer that may be treated with proton therapy. However, many specialists believe that brachytherapy is just as effective. Clinical trials show that the use of proton therapy serves only to increase the treatment cost, not to reduce mortality rates or improve the chances to preserve the eye.

The prospects of treating breast cancer with proton therapy are not very optimistic either. Experts believe that this type of treatment should only be used in a small number of patients with certain anatomical traits. As for lung cancer, the scientists have just started clinical trials to test proton therapy in lung cancer patients.

Is It Possible To Receive Proton Therapy In Israel?

At present, the issue of proton therapy use in Israel is only being discussed. There are no clinics in Israel providing this type of treatment. If you are offered proton therapy in Israel, you are being deceived. To learn more about different types of radiotherapy available in Israel, fill in the application form below. Our consulting physician will call you within a couple of hours. They will explain treatment options for your disease available in Israel and provide you with a free program of diagnosis and treatment stating the prices for all procedures.

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