Proton Beam Therapy Cost in India

How does proton beam therapy work?

The implementation of the PBT session is now automated and the majority of hospitals and the doctor’s fraternity use the beam angle selection using Bayesian optimization.

In some cases, the Bayesian optimization is combined with ECHO (Expedited Constrained Hierarchical Optimization).

Before the final session, there is a responsible planning process that plays a very vital role.

This planning may take a few weeks to carry out an impeccable procedure. This includes:

• A sound diagnosis– the exact target area has to be determined with a team of experts, understanding the history and the influencing factors.
• Reports– the target area is finally determined based on the CT scans, CBCT, MRI reports and the involvement, size, shape and adjoining tissues, cells and organs are studied and confirmed.
• Mapping– much before the treatment finally begins there is a treatment planning process known as ‘simulation’ to rule out any uncertainty during the course of treatment and for a smooth and predictable plan of action. This may take more than an hour. In some cases, MRI & PET scans may be done on the day of the simulation as well.
• Positioning– It is highly critical to have the body correctly positioned. The reports are the basis of marking the body to aim for the exact administration of the proton beam. Depending on the severity these marks may or may not be permanent.
• Immobilization devices– are created by the radiation team to maintain the same position during each session. Precautions are taken to create immobility which may not interfere with the basic functioning of other organs, like a breath-through mask if the head or neck is being treated.
• Dosage determination with a goal– PBT stands apart due to its adjustable high-energy dosage administration feature.
  How deep should the beam travel, and how much radiation has to be delivered is ascertained by programmed computers (proton treatment planning software) used by the dosimetrists and the radiation oncologists aiming to kill the cancer cells with the least damage to the healthy tissue. This technical planning may take a week or more.
• Quality control– The quality control team ensures that the entire system, technical planning, dose administration, patient reports, and all the members of the team correspond well from the start to end; and may have further relevance post-treatment as well. The team checks and eliminates the defects in the entire planning and execution of the treatment.