
Radiation describes the way energy moves from one place to another. Radiation therapy is used as the main cancer treatment and for another type of treatment, called adjuvant therapy. The goal of this treatment is to destroy cancer cells and slow tumor growth, without harming nearby healthy tissue. Proton therapy, also called proton beam therapy, is a type of radiation treatment that uses protons rather than x-rays to treat cancer. Protons are large particles that can be manipulated to release their energy. The more energy, the deeper the protons can penetrate into the body. Physicians can calculate the precise amount of proton energy needed to release the radiation exactly on the tumor site.