Lung and Thoracic Cancer
Thoracic cancers occur in the chest, and lung cancer is the most common type. There are two main types of lung cancer, non-small cell, and small cell. About 10 to 15 percent of lung cancers are small cell. These cancers typically grow and spread faster than non-small cell cancers. If surgery is not an option, a combination of chemotherapy and radiation is a likely lung cancer treatment option. Radiation therapy can also help with symptoms, like pain.
Why proton therapy?
Protons can deliver higher doses of radiation, with less risk of damage to healthy surrounding tissue and organs than X-ray beams, typically used in traditional radiation treatment. This is because proton beams stop at the tumor and can conform to a tumor’s shape and size. X-rays typically leave an exit dose of radiation when they leave the body. This is especially important when you consider the lungs’ location, close to several critical structures in the body.
Lung cancer facts
Lung cancer is, by far, the deadliest cancer in the United States. Less than a quarter of those diagnosed will survive longer than five years. Lung cancer is often caught at later stages when symptoms are more likely to appear.
Lung cancer is largely preventable. The National Institutes of Health estimates cigarette smoking is responsible for 80 to 90 percent of lung cancers.
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