Record Status This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database. Citation HAYES, Inc. Proton beam therapy for non-small cell lung cancer. Lansdale: HAYES, Inc. Directory Publication. 2017 Authors' conclusions Proton beam therapy (PBT) is a type of external radiation treatment in which positively charged subatomic particles (protons) are precisely targeted to a specific tissue mass using a sophisticated stereotaxic planning and delivery system. In comparison with conventional photon or electron irradiation, proton beam radiation may deliver a higher dose to the target tissue, while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. Rationale: The physical properties of proton beams can be used to improve the targeting of radiation therapy relative to conventional photon or electron beam radiation therapy, potentially reducing the undesirable adverse events that can occur during and after radiation therapy for lung cancer, particularly, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Controversy: Highly sophisticated methods have been developed for targeting conventional radiation therapy, including dose fractionation, modulation of radiation intensity, and delivery of radiation with devices that sweep in multiple arcs around the patient to generate beams that intersect at the tumor. As a result, the type and severity of complications of conventional lung radiation therapy are usually similar to those that occur during and after PBT.
Relevant Questions: Compared with other treatment options, does PBT improve local control of the target lesion and/or increase survival for patients with NSCLC? Does PBT cause fewer complications than other types of radiation therapy? Have definitive patient selection criteria for PBT for NSCLC been established? Indexing Status Subject indexing assigned by CRD MeSH Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Proton Therapy; Protons Language Published English Country of organisation United States English summary An English language summary is available. Address for correspondence HAYES, Inc., 157 S. Broad Street, Suite 200, Lansdale, PA 19446, USA. Tel: 215 855 0615; Fax: 215 855 5218 Email: hayesinfo@hayesinc.com AccessionNumber 32017000177 Date abstract record published 04/04/2017 |