Proton Therapy

The dose distributions of proton Bragg peaks lead to superior treatment plans for proton therapy compared with X-ray therapy in terms of reducing the radiation dose to normal tissues adjacent to the target. Preclinical and clinical research has supported the superiority of proton therapy for some clinical conditions. However, appropriate management of various sources of uncertainties in the planning and delivery of proton therapy are essential. Proton dose distributions may be perturbed more than those of photons by anatomic variations and by organ or tumor motion during treatment. Radiobiological uncertainties may also have a greater role in proton therapy. Appropriate clinical case selection and means of taking motion, location, and anatomy into consideration will be required to take full advantage of proton therapy to improve clinical outcomes.