In radiation therapy, Proton beam therapy is the next big thing, although the concept was originated way back in the forties. Refinement in the machine and the technique has led to the development of this technology. As of now less than hundred machines have been installed across the globe. The radiation reduces the dose to normal tissues by allowing for more precise dose delivery because of the unique physical properties of heavy particles.
Protons penetrate tissue to a variable depth, depending upon their energy, and then deposit that energy in the tissue in a sharp peak, known as a Bragg peak. This rapid dose falloff at a depth that can be controlled by the initial energy of the protons allows for decreased radiation to adjoining normal tissue by a factor of 2 to 3. At the present time, the clinical superiority of protons compared with photons is clearly established in some pediatric…
