Taiwan’s Chang Gung Hospital cancer proton therapy achieves breakthrough

Recent study from the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou team found liver cancer patients treated with proton therapy achieve better tumor control and double the survival time compared to traditional X-ray radiation therapy, with fewer side effects. The findings were published in the March 2024 edition of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, the leading international journal in the field of radiation oncology.

The proton therapy serves as ‘surgical strike’ deep within the body, only releasing significant radiation energy when the protons reach the target tumor and destroying it with utmost precision while minimizing damage to nearby normal tissues and reducing side effects. The pinpoint accuracy stands apart from traditional X-ray radiotherapy, which often incurs greater collateral damage. By allowing for safer dose escalation, proton therapy optimizes patient outcomes and maintains their quality of life.

The hospital conducted a four-year follow-up study on 159 patients with extensive liver cancer undergoing either proton therapy or conventional X-ray radiotherapy. The results showed that the two-year local tumor control rate for proton therapy was 89 percent, significantly surpassing the 34 percent achieved with traditional X-ray. Additionally, the median survival time for those treated with proton therapy was 19 months—more than double the 8 months observed with X-ray treatments. Moreover, the incidence of liver failure, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, or severe lymphocytopenia was significantly lower in the proton therapy group.