Proton v Photon: A Presentation from College

When I was a senior in college, after part 1 of this blog, I took a class in medical physics. Now, the class was known as a blow off class, but I needed a second physics course for premed, because I tested out of physics 1. So off I went to this class with minimal requirements, a text book under 100 pages, and less than 5 assignments or exams. It totally was a blow off class, but also I got to do a really neat presentation as part of it, as an optional opportunity. Because I feel strongly that this is an important topic, I decided to go ahead and present to the class of 150 students, in the big physics lecture hall.

The topic was types of radiation treatment, specifically the kind my little brother had as part of a clinical trial: proton beam therapy. Traditional radiation therapy uses x-rays (aka photons on the electromagnetic spectrum) and has been around a while. Proton radiation hasn't been around as long and hasn't been studied as broadly. Proton therapy isn't widely available like photon therapy (only 39 centers in the US as of December 2021) but has shown a lot of promise. 

Proton therapy is recommended for childhood cancers because it damages surrounding tissues less than traditional photon therapy, although it still does cause some damage to nearby cells. It's not perfect, but there are a lot of benefits to proton radiation over photon.

 

This blog post is not a substitute for medical advice from a professional.

Sources: Mayo Clinic, City of Hope,