FAQs About Proton Therapy

Penn Medicine's Roberts Proton Therapy Center, which is part of Penn's Abramson Cancer Center, brings together a team of nationally recognized cancer experts from several fields of cancer medicine to provide you with exceptional proton therapy treatment.

Your care team evaluates you, develops a personalized treatment plan, delivers the proton therapy and provides follow-up care after your treatment is complete. Our highly trained specialists include radiation oncologists, nurses, physicists, dosimetrists and therapists. Learn more about your expert proton therapy treatment team.

At Penn Medicine, we often combine proton therapy with other cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and other types of radiation therapy. Proton therapy typically allows us to administer a higher radiation dose to the tumor without damaging nearby healthy tissue. For this reason, we can often develop more effective combinations of treatments while minimizing side effects.

To create your personalized treatment plan, your radiation oncologist works closely with surgical oncologists (cancer surgeons), medical oncologists and other experts. Together, the team evaluates your individual health needs to decide whether the plan will include proton therapy alone or with one or more other treatments.

Yes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved proton therapy in 2001, and it is widely accepted by physicians, government agencies and many health insurers. In the United States, proton therapy has been studied in research and clinical trials since the 1950s. Proton therapy was first used in 1990 in a hospital setting to treat patients with cancer.

At the Roberts Proton Therapy Center, our radiation oncologists are at the forefront of research to find new ways to use proton therapy in cancer treatment. Physicians and other radiation specialists come from around the world to learn about proton therapy from our experts. Learn more about patient care, education and research at the Roberts Proton Therapy Center.

You may bring anything to your proton therapy treatment session that makes you feel comfortable, such as:

• Electronic devices including cell phones and laptops
• Books, magazines and notebooks
• Pillows and robes

Your radiation technician may ask that you leave personal items in the changing space and lockers in the Roberts Proton Therapy Center.

Most people report no pain during proton therapy sessions. People who have physical limitations may feel some discomfort from remaining in one position during the session without moving.

Proton therapy treatment typically takes about 30 minutes depending on the area of your body receiving treatment. Most of this time is spent making sure that you are in a very specific position to receive your treatment.

The actual treatment and delivery of the proton beams only takes a couple of minutes. And because it's noninvasive and extremely precise, you'll experience fewer side effects and complications during cancer treatment.

Proton therapy is generally painless and causes minimal side effects. You may experience some temporary hair loss around the treatment site. If your proton therapy treatment is combined with other cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, you may experience additional side effects.

Recent research shows that proton therapy for cancer treatment results in fewer side effects compared with other forms of conventional radiation therapy. In fact, many people who receive proton therapy return to work or other activities the same day.

Proton therapy is painless, however, every person reacts differently to cancer treatment. Side effects that you may experience include:

• Fatigue
• Skin problems at the treatment site similar to a sunburn, including redness, irritation, swelling, dryness, blistering or peeling
• Temporary hair loss at the treatment site

Side effects of proton therapy depend on the part of the body receiving treatment, the tumor size and the types of healthy tissue near the tumor. Your care team will discuss possible side effects that you may experience.

Watch our patients and doctors as they talk about their experiences with proton therapy in these proton therapy videos from the Roberts Proton Therapy Center.

Proton radiation has a very short life. It goes into your body, targets the tumor and has few side effects to healthy surrounding tissue. As soon as you complete your daily treatment session, there is no risk of secondary radiation exposure to others.

Radiation affects the targeted tissue only for a short time during the therapy session. Your body poses no risk of radiation exposure to others. Any type of close physical contact, including sex, is safe.

The success of proton therapy is different for each individual and is dependent on your cancer type, stage and diagnosis. Your care team will be able to discuss the details of your treatment options and prognosis.

We understand that not everyone has easy access to care at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia. Proton therapy requires frequent, sometimes daily, sessions for up to 12 weeks. The time away from home can be lengthy if you're not from the Philadelphia region.

If you're from outside the area, see our list of nearby hotel accommodations with prearranged rates for patients at Penn Medicine. You may also be interested in housing options with Hosts for Hospitals. Hosts for Hospitals provides low-cost, in-home hospitality and accommodations for patients receiving medical care at Philadelphia-area hospitals and their families.

You can search the Penn Medicine clinical trials database by diagnosis, modality (proton therapy) and other criteria.

Yes, proton therapy is ideal for treating cancer in children because it provides targeted treatment while minimizing radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissues. Less damage to healthy tissue can reduce side effects, which is critical for children because they are still growing and developing.

Children undergoing cancer treatment at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) receive proton therapy at the Roberts Proton Therapy Center. Our team of pediatric cancer specialists has years of experience working together to care for children receiving radiation treatment.

The CHOP/Penn team coordinates and delivers all aspects of children's cancer treatment and follow-up care. Learn more about our treatment for children in the pediatric proton therapy center.