The future has never looked better. The medication and treatment therapies we use today had only been dreamed of just decades ago.

Today radiation treatment for cancer is at its most advanced. With the need for breast cancer care on the rise and prostate cancer one of the most common forms yet seen in medical offices, gone are the days of long wait times and high relapse percentages. Advanced cancer treatment options are slowly being brought into the fold, offering superior solutions that provide powerful results. While there are still a lot of details to work out, proton beam radiation is believed to be the next major step on our way to a safer, healthier future.

How does proton cancer treatment work? Learn more below.

What Are The Most Common Forms Of Cancer?

Cancer takes on many different shapes. Sometimes it’s severe and requires constant, aggressive treatment in order to eliminate. Other times it’s smaller and more easily counteracted, particularly if it’s spotted early on. Breast cancer, proton cancer and skin cancer are some of the most common forms seen to date. Glioblastomas account for over 15% of all primary brain tumors and nearly 24,000 adults are diagnosed with cancerous tumors of the brain each year.

What Is Proton Therapy?

Radiation treatment for cancer has gone through significant changes these past few decades. Today proton therapy is an experimental form many are heralding as the next big change in the medical industry. It is a form of radiation that stops at a very specific point in the targeted tissue. Compare this to conventional radiation, which often continues beyond the tumor and causes multiple long-term issues for the patient. Breast cancer patients using proton therapy experience 50% less radiation to the heart and lungs compared to traditional treatment methods.

How Does Proton Cancer Treatment Work?

A major benefit to proton therapy is its reduced risk of recurrence as well as its reduced side-effects. Studies have been conducted to gauge not just the effectiveness of cancer treatment, but the long-term impact it has on its patients. Researches found over 95% of men treated with proton therapy with low-risk prostate cancer having no signs of cancer recurrence after five years. This number is around 90% and 70% for intermediate-risk and high-risk, respectively.

How Many Proton Therapy Centers Are There?

Cancer proton therapy is still being developed. The beginning of 2015 saw over 30 particle therapy centers being constructed, with a total of 80 treatment rooms. Thanks to the more targeted proton therapy’s approach studies have only continued to find positive results. People who use this method of treating prostate cancer not only have a reduced incidence of recurrence after five years, but also have a significantly reduced risk of impotence. One study found over 90% of men reporting they remain sexually active after treatment. As it stands, radiation treatment for cancer is making some of the most incredible strides seen to date.

What Does The Future Look Like For Cancer Survivors?

Better treatment for cancer is right around the corner. Proton therapy is starting to become one of the best ways of treating low-risk and high-risk incidents of prostate cancer, breast cancer and even brain cancer, increasing a patient’s chance for survival and a healthier recovery alike. The average treatment session doesn’t take that long, either, ranging from 15 to 45 minutes. Cancer is more easily treated, however, when it’s spotted as early as possible. Visit a cancer treatment center this year and get a check-up to ensure you’re in good health.

When we work together, cancer could very well become a thing of the past.