A narrative review of particle therapy in cancer

Abstract

The use of high-energy charged particles in radiotherapy has evolved into an advanced cancer treatment. Even though proton beams and carbon ions are currently the popular particles used for radiotherapy in cancer, ions such as pions, helium, argon, and neon were previously used. To prepare this article, reviewed the literature relevant to the history, current status, and clinical outcomes of particle therapy for specific types of tumors by searching in PubMed and Google Scholar using specific search terms. This article reviews the history, current status, physics, and radiobiological advantages of particle therapy. Outcomes of particle therapy for sites such as the head-and-neck, central nervous system, lung, and prostate have been discussed. The physical and biological properties of particle therapy have been shown to be effective in reducing radiation-induced acute toxicities to a large extent as well as reducing the integral dose, i.e., the sum of dose delivered at every point in a patient’s body, multiplied by the volume of tissue at each point and then added up over the entire treated volume. It is used to assess the potential risks associated with radiation therapy. The advantages of particle therapy over conventional photon therapy in terms of overall survival and local control rates have been described. Advances in image guidance and newer particle acceleration technologies have improved the efficiency of particle therapy treatment.