Info
Proton therapy
Treatment
What it means
A form of radiotherapy that uses protons instead of conventional radiation (photons), allowing the dose to be delivered almost exclusively at the tumor, with less exposure of the surrounding healthy tissue.
Related terms
The terms below often appear alongside this one. Each definition is right here, so you do not have to look elsewhere.
- Radiotherapy
- A treatment that uses ionising radiation to destroy cancer cells or shrink the tumor. It can be external or internal (brachytherapy). It is precise and spares the surrounding healthy tissues.
- Adjuvant treatment
- Treatment given after surgery or after the main treatment to reduce the risk of recurrence. It may be chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy or targeted therapy, depending on the type of cancer.
- Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)
- A hormonal treatment that lowers the level of testosterone in the body or blocks its effect, used in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. It can be done with medication (injections) or surgically.
Other terms in “Treatment”
Glossary definitions are written for patients by the OncoDots team and go through internal medical review. They explain terms; they do not establish a diagnosis and do not recommend a treatment.