Very Late Effects of Radiotherapy – Limiting Factor of Current Radiotherapy Techniques

Radiation therapy is almost always associated with side effects. With advances in cancer treatment, this problem is becoming even more important.

Radiation-induced heart disease is one of the most serious and best documented very late consequences of radiotherapy, which may lead to significant problems in cured cancer patients in the future. Another dreaded consequence is secondary malignancies, where the main cause is thought to be the therapy itself. There is currently no way to prevent these treatment effects, other than reducing the dose to the heart to the lowest possible level during radiotherapy. Proton therapy is the only radiation method that allows for complete elimination of doses to selected critical organs. Unlike commonly used irradiation techniques, proton therapy is more gentle and safer. Thanks to the precise targeting of the proton beam, we can significantly reduce the risk of side effects and late toxicity.

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