Dr. Wright on Proton Versus Photon Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer

Jean Wright, MD, director of the Breast Cancer Program, Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences and associate professor of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences at Johns Hopkins Medicine, discusses proton versus photon radiotherapy in breast cancer.

Protons been available in radiation oncology for a few decades; however, they have recently garnered a lot of attention, says Wright. In the past, only 2 radiation oncology centers in the country had protons; now, over 20 of these centers exist and there are more to come, Wright adds.

In breast cancer, the main potential benefit of proton therapy is reducing the radiation exposure to the heart and lungs versus photon-based techniques, explains Wright. It is possible that proton therapy has somewhat different biological properties in the way that it interacts with tissues; however, most likely, it has a similar effect on the tissues as photon radiation, concludes Wright.