Cancer is undoubtedly one of the great current challenges in public health; in our country, the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) predicts that almost 287,000 new cases of this disease will be diagnosed this year alone. Unfortunately, it is a pathology that many times It is very difficult to approach and in some cases requires very expensive treatments, to which access can be difficult.
An example of this is proton therapy, a recently developed modality of radiotherapy which until now is not available through public health in our country. However, this reality could change soon, since Galicia has begun construction of the first center that will administer this technique to patients in the public system.
What is proton therapy
According to the health news outlet Medical Writingthe then acting president of the Xunta announced two weeks ago that Galicia had become the first Autonomous Community to begin work on its Proton Therapy Center. The forecast, he commented, is that in mid-2026 the treatment can begin to be administered to some patients.
Thus, Galicia will receive the first of the ten teams financed by the Amancio Ortega Foundation to the National Health System.
As explained by the Mayo Clinic (United States), proton therapy is a form of cancer radiotherapy which uses beams of protons accelerated to high energy, directed with millimeter precision against the tumor. This concentrated release of energy on the tumor destroys cancer cells, reducing the dose received by surrounding tissues and minimizing the risk of secondary tumors developing. Therefore, it is considered especially appropriate for pediatric or very young patients.
What is it indicated for and what are the risks?
As we said, in principle it is considered appropriate for pediatric or juvenile patientsas well as for tumors found in particularly delicate areas (for example, near the base of the skull), brain tumors, breast cancer, ocular melanoma, esophageal cancer, head and neck cancer, liver cancer, lung, lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, pituitary gland tumors, prostate cancer, sarcoma, tumors affecting the spine or spinal column tumors.
Like any form of radiation therapy, proton therapy carries a series of risks. However, their characteristics (such as less irradiation to surrounding areas) reduce them compared to other techniques.
Typically, common side effects of proton therapy include fatiguehair loss around the treated area, redness of the skin around the part of the body being treated, and pain in the affected part of the body.
References
SEOM (2024). Cancer figures in Spain. Consulted online at https://seom.org/images/publicaciones/informes-seom-de-evaluacion-de-farmacos/LAS_CIFRAS_2024.pdf on April 23, 2024.
Medical Writing (2024). “Galicia is the first community to start Proton Therapy works.” Consulted online at https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/galicia/-galicia-es-la-primera-comunidad-en-iniciar-las-obras-de-la-protonterapia–2900 on April 23, 2024.
Mayo Clinic. Proton therapy. Consulted online at https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/tests-procedures/proton-therapy/about/pac-20384758 April 23, 2024
