About Esophageal Cancer Treatment
Esophageal cancer impacts over 18,000 Americans each year. Fortunately, treatment outcomes for esophageal patients are continuing to improve. Due to the critical structures near the esophagus such as the heart, lungs, liver, and spinal column, esophageal cancer should be treated with extreme precision to avoid damage to healthy tissue. This is why proton therapy is an optimal treatment option for esophageal cancer patients.
Proton Therapy Has Proven Clinical Results
Unlike X-ray radiation from traditional treatments like IMRT, TomoTherapy, and Cyberknife, protons can be stopped inside the tumor, which can lower the exposure to excess radiation to critical structures such as the heart, lungs, liver, and other healthy tissue. Side effects such as pain with swallowing, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, heart attacks, lung complications, and more are significantly reduced with proton therapy versus other forms of radiation treatment for esophageal cancer. In some instances, disease-free survival and overall survival can be increased for esophageal cancer patients treated with proton therapy.
The Treatment Process
Your doctor will work with you on a treatment regimen that makes the most sense for your diagnosis. Treatments, also known as protocols, for esophageal cancer, can range anywhere from 22 to 33 protocols with each session averaging about 20-30 minutes. Treatments occur at the center every day, Monday through Friday.
Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal cancer is more common in men than among women. Lifetime risk for men in the US is 1 in 125 and about 1 in 418 in women. Get all of the information on symptoms, diagnosis and treatment by contacting the Oklahoma Proton Center team below.
About Us
With a state-of-the-art facility and an expert team of doctors, we build a personalized proton therapy treatment plan that best fits your cancer diagnosis while reducing side effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve put together commonly asked questions about proton therapy, patient care and insurance options to ensure you have the answers you need.
Find Out if Proton Therapy is Right for You
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