Lung cancer is one of the main causes of death of patients with oncopathology. The five-year survival rate is only 15% among those who have been diagnosed with this disease.

Approximately 15-20% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer have tumors that can be cured by surgery in combination with radiation therapy. Another 30-50% patients have neoplasms, which require a combined treatment regimen, which includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. But the location of the lungs in close proximity to important organs makes it difficult to deliver the required dose of radiation to cancer cells without the risk of injuring normal tissues.

Advantages of proton therapy over conventional radiation therapy make it an optimal treatment for many patients with lung cancer. Advanced imaging technologies and the ability to accurately target cancer cells allow our specialists to deliver powerful doses of radiation as accurately as possible without affecting the nearby organs: esophagus, heart and spine. Thanks to this, it becomes possible to irradiate the tumor with a higher dose of radiation, to cope with the disease more quickly and to improve the patient's quality of life.

The problem of irradiation of a tumor site in the lung consists in fluctuations in the geometry of the affected area that arise from the constant anatomical changes and respiratory movements of the patient. Our specialists have mastered ways to effectively fight lung cancer, such as treating patients with "synchronized breathing" or breathing delay technique. This allows you to accurately deliver radiation doses directly into cancer cells.

Pencil beam scanning

In addition to the technique of synchronized breathing, the MIBS proton therapy center can offer patients with lung cancer an even more advanced method of treatment - pencil beam scanning (PBS).

During "pencil" scanning, a proton beam, whose diameter can be less than one millimeter, is guided by numerous magnets to the exact area of the lesion, releasing radiation layer after layer, just as an artist applies the paint with a brush. The advantage of the method is the ability of the beam to enter the tumor at different angles, bypassing the important organs located next to it.

This technology is even more accurate and allows you to deliver higher doses of radiation to the affected cells. Treatment sessions take less time, side effects decrease, and the variability of treatment increases.

Proton therapy with pencil beam scanning can be used for patients with recurrence of lung cancer who have already received high doses of radiation. In this case a narrow beam restricts or completely eliminates the overspill of radiation into sensitive areas.

How does the treatment proceed?

Procedures usually take from 15 to 30 minutes every day and are held five times a week. The course lasts from 4 to 7 weeks. Hospitalization is not required. Most patients tolerate proton therapy exceptionally well and continue to work and exercise during and immediately after treatment.