So my uncles rad-onc told him that he should proton therapy for his brain mass but I'm wondering how this shit works that makes it "better" than standard x-rays.
The only thing I can think of is that since protons, unlike photons, have mass, one can better control the proton beam's flux.
Thoughts?
>>8099903
basically with x-ray you have to go all or nothing almost.
Which means you can destroy too much surrounding stuff, or not do enough damage.
With protons, as you said, they have mass and charge so you can give them a specific energy to start with, which determines how deep they go. They won't stop before, they won't stop after. Just at the right depth (relatively of course).
>>8099916
Are protons themselves more radioactive than photons?
It's quite expensive if you're not insured.
But neutron therapy is free of charge.
>>8100013
>paying for cancer treatment
LAND OF THE FREE, HOME OF THE BRAVE.
>>8100013
kek'd some
>>8099903
I'm a radiation biologist.
It depends what kind of tumor you have and where it sits.
Different kind of irradiation causes different kinds of damage.
With protons it's like a trajectory of DNA damage in the nucleus.
With x-rays it's all over the nucleus, but random.
As stated, it depends on the kind of tumor etc. which one is better, so the doctor is probably right in suggesting it.
>>8100024
> paying for other people's cancer treatment.
>>8100013
kek'd
>>8100051
>not just enslaving the entire medical profession and forcing them to work at gunpoint
>>8100051
>not helping other people who will help you in need
>>8100051
>anyone who gets cancer before making their fortune deserves to die anyway
>>8100082
>>8100086
Amoral asshole detected.
>>8099916
Just this
>>8099903
this shit is so cool went to TRIUMF in BC and they talked about how they use the cyclotron to shoot protons into peoples eyes to kill tumors, they said it was safe ass shit with like 96% survival which was more than just removing the eye and you kept the eye.
protons have shorter (and finite) ranges in matter
xrays interact probabilistically so their ranges are less defined (not at all actually) and stochastic.
so proton beams can deliver larger doses to tumors and lower doses to surrounding tissue
source: pic related
>>8099916
they dont all penetrate exactly the same distance, because of the beam distribution and chemical variation of the target, but yes, it's much more defined and "pinpoint" than an xray treatment
>>8100153
not everyone studies physics. what the fuck am I looking at here?
>>8100051
are americans really this evil?
