What Is Proton Therapy?

Proton therapy is a type of radiation therapy that uses high-energy radiation beams to destroy cancer cells. With protons (positively charged atoms) as the energy source, proton therapy offers greater precision and accuracy than conventional radiation therapy using X-rays.

About Roberts Proton Therapy Center

Centrally located in Philadelphia, the Roberts Proton Therapy Center combines the unmatched expertise of world-renowned radiation specialists with the latest technology and compassionate care. At about 75,000 square feet, the Roberts Proton Therapy Center has five treatment rooms and a research room dedicated to proton therapy. The center also have an additional five rooms for conventional (photon) radiation therapy. As the largest center in the world for both proton and conventional radiation, the center treats  more than 100 patients with proton therapy daily.

The Roberts Proton Therapy Center is in a building connected to the Ruth and Raymond Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine in Philadelphia. The Roberts Proton Therapy Center offers:

Sophisticated technology for precision and accuracy: The center offers pencil beam scanning (PBS), also called spot scanning, in which the proton beam is just millimeters wide. The team can create a radiation dose that “paints” the tumor layer by layer for precise targeting.The center can also adjust the beam’s intensity to deliver more radiation in certain areas of the targeted tissue.

Advanced imaging technology: The Roberts Proton Therapy Center has the latest imaging equipment integrated into the proton therapy machines. It uses scans to calculate accurate radiation doses and plan the areas to target and avoid. The center imaging technology includes 4D and dual-energy computed tomography (CT), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT).

At the Roberts Proton Therapy Center, dedicated pediatric proton therapy experts from CHOP offer specialized treatment for children with certain types of cancer. The CHOP team includes the same types of specialists as for adult treatment, with advanced training in pediatric care.

Penn Medicine’s Roberts Proton Therapy is also  the largest and most advanced facility in the world for proton therapy. It is the only proton therapy center fully integrated with a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated comprehensive cancer center, Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center.

According to pennmedicine.org; iba-worldwide.com. Source of photos: internet