Brachytherapy:Radiation therapy, which involves the introduction of radioactive material into or near a tumor.

Bragg Peak:It is the energy emitted from protons when they settle at the end of their path in the body. When proton therapy is used, this pathway ends at the tumor site. Radiation oncologists have the ability to place this energy flow at a specific depth in tissue to effectively target the tumor.

Conventional Radiation Therapy:It is the most common type of cancer treatment in which electrons or x-rays are used to target cancerous areas of the body.

Input Dose:The radiation dose that is absorbed by healthy tissue before the radiation actually reaches the intended target, the tumor.

Electron:Particles taken from an atom deposited during conventional radiation therapies are effective for tumors with no depth.

Output Dose:The dose of radiation absorbed by healthy tissues after radiation reaches the tumor. With the use of proton therapy, protons enter the tumor and then stop, eliminating this exit dose.

Local Therapy:Treatment of cancer (i.e. surgery) that affects the tumor itself and the area around it.

Metastasis:It is the result of cancer cells leaving a tumor, settling in an additional place in the body and forming a new tumor.

Pencil Beam:The characteristic of the proton therapy treatment unit in which protons are applied. By allowing targeted, precise radiation doses, it minimizes adverse side effects and provides a lower risk of damage to surrounding tissue.

Protons:Positively charged particles from an atom.

Proton Therapy (Therapy):An advanced form of radiation therapy that uses a single high-energy proton beam instead of X-rays to treat various types of cancer, providing precise treatment to tumors in a way that reduces adverse side effects and cancer recurrence.

Radiation Therapy:Cancer treatment that involves the use of x-rays or radiation, including proton therapy.

Simulation Visit:Use of a computed tomography (CT) scan, a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the ideal treatment plan for proton therapy patients.

Toxicity:Damage to normal, healthy tissue as a result of exposure to radiation during treatment.

Tumor:A mass caused by a concentration of cells, which may be benign, lacking the ability to metastasize and spread to other parts of the body, or malignant, which can spread and aggregate to additional parts of the body.