Proton Therapy for Gynecologic Cancer
Proton therapy treatments can match the exact shape and depth of gynecologic tumors. This may limit the impact of radiation on nearby healthy tissues and organs, such as the bowels, bladder, kidneys and pelvic bone marrow.
At the Proton Therapy Center, we treat select gynecologic cancers. If you need radiation, your gynecologic radiation oncologist will discuss the advantages of proton therapy versus other radiation treatments and recommend the type that is best for you.
Proton therapy may especially be beneficial to:
- Women with localized recurrences of gynecologic cancer
- Patients with a recurrence that is not well suited for other treatments, including surgery
- Those who have undergone prior radiation therapy
Adolescents, young adults and other patients concerned about long-term side effects.
Why MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center
The Proton Therapy Center offers gynecologic cancer patients pencil beam scanning, the most advanced form of proton treatment. Pencil beam scanning delivers a single, narrow proton beam that is swept across the tumor, depositing radiation like a painter's brush. This beam can approach the tumor from multiple directions, creating a "U" shape around healthy tissue and minimizing the radiation received during treatment.
Our patients also have access to a multidisciplinary team of radiation oncologists, dosimetrists, physicists and other cancer professionals. And at MD Anderson, patients are surrounded by the strength of the nation's largest and most experienced comprehensive cancer center. From support groups to integrative medicine services to social work counseling, we have all the services needed to treat the whole person – not just the disease.