Published May 29th, 2019
By Ana Sandoiu
Fact checked by Gianna D'Emilio
New research finds that while cure rates for X-ray therapy and proton therapy are the same in the treatment of cancer, the risk of severe side effects is much lower with proton therapy.
New research suggests that proton therapy may be a better treatment than X-ray radiation for people with cancer.
According to estimates from the American Cancer Society, in 2019, doctors will have diagnosed 1,762,450 new cases of cancer, and 606,880 people will have died from the disease.
X-ray radiation is one of the most common therapies for cancer, whether the disease is in its early stages or whether the tumor has spread. Although effective, radiation therapyhas a wide range of side effects.
These can include fatigue, skin irritation, fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, as well as changes in appetite or difficulty eating and swallowing.
New research suggests that proton therapy, also known as proton beam therapy, may have fewer and less severe side effects than X-ray radiation.
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