Many people don’t realize that insurance companies will frequently pay for what can be termed alternative cancer treatment. Proton therapy, for example, is usually covered due to its high rate of effectiveness.

Proton therapy, though considered alternative, is far from being new. The process developed rather quickly after an enterprising scientist working on splitting atoms decided his proton accelerator could be used for more than just physics research in 1946. Robert R. Wilson would see the proton therapy program begin to thrive and treat around nine thousand patients.

Participation in the program for hospitals was difficult. Only those affiliated with universities who had access to a particle accelerator could even get close to beginning a program. The technology was too new (and too expensive) to set up from scratch. It would be 44 years from the time Wilson wrote his book to when the first proton therapy center opened its doors. In the meantime, the process was refined and the potential Wilson saw in the procedure really began shining through.

Proton therapy works differently than traditional radiation. Traditional radiation focuses as much as it can on a specific area, but the radiation can’t be targeted to a specific depth. The radiation starts at the skin, and gets thinner as it passes through the body. Since tumors happen anywhere from internal organs to the skin, radiation can often affect large amounts of healthy skin.

Proton therapy has a narrow focus, and allows radiation to be deposited in a very precise manner. It’s less likely to cause damage to healthy skin. As complicated as the science behind it is, for patients, treatment typically consist of fifteen-minute sessions spread across two or more weeks.

The science, of course, is a little more involved. Protons are accelerated, and then pointed directly at the affected area. The beam can be stopped at any depth, and molds are fashioned to ensure that just that happens.

On a molecular level, the protons technically aren’t destroying cells by conventional means. The nucleus of a cell is comprised of protons and neutrons and it’s surrounded by electrons that have an opposite charge of electrons. The protons from the proton beam disrupt the electrons, which break the cell down. Patients typically don’t experience any discomfort that wouldn’t naturally come from sitting perfectly still for a period of time.

Proton centers can cost millions of dollars to build, which explains how they were so slow to catch on. As proton beam technology becomes more and more prevalent, you can expect to see more centers opening. Hospitals (or independent clinics) that use proton accelerator technology have tripled in the last 10 years, with more posing to open soon.

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