# Proton Therapy

> Citation bundle for Proton Therapy on The Treatment Registry.
> URL: https://thetreatmentregistry.com/procedures/proton-therapy
> Bundle URL: https://thetreatmentregistry.com/api/citations/procedures/proton-therapy

- Category: oncology

## Description

In medicine, proton therapy, or proton radiotherapy, is a type of particle therapy that uses a beam of protons to irradiate diseased tissue, most often to treat cancer. The chief advantage of proton therapy over other types of external beam radiotherapy is that the dose of protons is deposited over a narrow range of depth; hence in minimal entry, exit, or scattered radiation dose to healthy nearby tissues.

## Overview

In medicine, proton therapy, or proton radiotherapy, is a type of particle therapy that uses a beam of protons to irradiate diseased tissue, most often to treat cancer. The chief advantage of proton therapy over other types of external beam radiotherapy is that the dose of protons is deposited over a narrow range of depth; hence in minimal entry, exit, or scattered radiation dose to healthy nearby tissues.

*Reference text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. Verify with a qualified clinician before treatment.*

## Alternative treatments

- **Photon (X-ray) radiotherapy** — Established, widely available alternative; less precise dose conformity to organs at risk.
- **Chemotherapy alone** — When systemic disease dominates the clinical picture.

## Sources

- [NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology](https://www.nccn.org/guidelines/category_1) — National Comprehensive Cancer Network (accessed 2026-06-29)