What Is Proton Therapy for Mesothelioma?
Proton therapy, also known as proton beam therapy, is an advanced form of radiotherapy (radiation treatment) being studied for mesothelioma. It uses protons — positively charged particles — to precisely target cancer cells.
“A proton is a heavier-charged particle, so unlike regular radiation that’s a light particle that goes right through patients, we can now actually use magnets to set the radiation to be deposited at specific areas, such as a tumor, and not have radiation go beyond that.”
— Dr. Charles B. Simone, mesothelioma specialist
Quick Facts on Mesothelioma Proton Therapy
- What it is: A type of radiation therapy for mesothelioma that shrinks tumors while doing less harm to normal tissues
- Possible side effects: Fatigue, skin irritation, and nausea (many of which are milder compared to standard radiation)
- Impact on patient survival: May help patients live for several years longer and with a better quality of life
- Availability: Currently only offered in clinical trials but could potentially become a mainstream treatment
Our Free Doctor Match service can connect you with health care providers who specialize in mesothelioma radiation.
Benefits of Mesothelioma Proton Therapy
Traditional mesothelioma radiation uses X-rays consisting of particles called photons.
Photon radiation disrupts the cancer cells’ ability to grow and divide, but also harms normal cells, causing side effects like nausea and hair loss. Proton therapy allows doctors to avoid some of these issues.
Notable benefits of proton therapy for mesothelioma include:
- Higher concentration: Proton therapy provides a more concentrated and higher dose of radiation directly to tumors compared to standard radiotherapy.
- Precision targeting: Through a technique called pencil beam scanning, proton therapy delivers radiation precisely to the tumor site, minimizing exposure to nearby organs and tissues.
- Reduced side effects: Proton therapy typically causes fewer side effects compared to traditional radiation therapy since less healthy tissues are affected. As a result, patients may have a better overall quality of life.
“No two tumors are identical, so we customize the proton beam to target a patient’s unique tumor location, size, and shape.”
– Dr. Steven Frank, Medical Director of the MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center
Who Can Receive Mesothelioma Proton Therapy for Mesothelioma?
As of 2024, proton therapy for mesothelioma is only available through clinical trials. Each trial has unique criteria as to who can join.
Clinical trials have provided proton therapy to patients with:
- Any stage of mesothelioma: In addition to early-stage patients, proton therapy can help those with late-stage mesothelioma (which is harder to treat due to metastasis)
- Malignant pleural mesothelioma: This is the most common type of the cancer and form in the lung lining (pleura)
- Multiple cell types: Proton therapy can be used to treat patients with epithelioid mesothelioma and biphasic mesothelioma (two of the three main mesothelioma cell types)
If further cancer research proves proton radiation therapy is safe and effective, it may become a commonly used treatment in the future.
Call (866) 608-8933 to see if you can access proton therapy for mesothelioma. Our team can help locate clinical trials near you if you qualify.
Proton Therapy in Mesothelioma Treatment Plans
Proton radiation is used in mesothelioma treatment plans either by itself as a first-line (initial) treatment, or with other therapies to help patients live as long as possible.
Doctors may use proton therapy with:
- Surgery: It can be used before surgeries like pleurectomy with decortication (P/D) or extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) as an adjuvant therapy to shrink tumors, or as a neoadjuvant therapy afterward to kill leftover cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy: These medications circulate through the body to fight cancer. Proton therapy can damage tumors so chemotherapy can finish them off.
- Other types of radiation: Doctors may use proton therapy with other types of radiation like external beam radiation therapy or intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to kill as much cancer as possible.
- Immunotherapy: Proton therapy works with immunotherapy to enhance the immune system’s response to cancer cells.
In a recent study, proton therapy was found to be safer for patients who received lung-removing EPP surgery compared to IMRT. IMRT damaged the remaining lung in some cases, putting patients at risk of a life-threatening lung inflammation called pneumonitis.
Talk to a radiation oncologist (cancer doctor who specializes in radiation) to learn if proton therapy could be a part of your mesothelioma treatment plan.
What to Expect During Proton Therapy Treatment Sessions
If you’re eligible, getting proton therapy is usually a simple process. Find out what to expect if you’ll be receiving proton therapy for mesothelioma below.
1. Get Imaging Scans and a Simulated Treatment With CT Scans
You may undergo a simulation session to help you prepare before starting treatment. You will go into a hospital and doctors will have you enter a radiation machine.
You won’t actually get any proton therapy during this time. Instead, doctors will use imaging scans such as CTs or X-rays to locate your cancer tumor and “map” the radiation specifically to it with a computer program.
2. Start Proton Therapy
During the proton therapy treatment sessions, you lie on a table while a radiation machine layers proton beams over the tumors. The protons enter the body and release energy directly into cancer cells.
You won’t feel anything, as getting proton therapy for mesothelioma is typically painless. Your medical team will monitor you from another room, communicating through an intercom.
Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that most patients receive proton therapy 5 days per week over the course of several weeks. The treatment itself only takes a few minutes, with the entire appointment lasting 15-45 minutes.
3. Receive Follow-Up Monitoring and Care
After undergoing proton therapy, your mesothelioma doctors will monitor you for any possible side effects. They’ll also want to conduct follow-up testing to see how your mesothelioma tumors respond.
If your cancer starts to grow back or doesn’t respond to proton therapy, doctors can recommend next steps to help you.
Use our Free Doctor Match to find the best mesothelioma specialists near you who can recommend treatments like proton therapy — it only takes a few seconds.
Side Effects of Proton Therapy
Like any treatment, proton therapy may cause side effects.
Some side effects of proton therapy for mesothelioma may include:
- Cough or difficulty breathing
- Digestive issues
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Headaches
- Mouth sores
- Nausea
- Radiation pneumonitis (inflammation of lung tissue)
- Skin reactions at the treatment site
- Soreness and swelling
Still, studies have noted that most patients only experience mild side effects. A report published in Photochemistry and Photobiology found that late-stage pleural mesothelioma patients tolerated the treatment well, with none of them developing serious complications.
Make sure to report any side effects you develop after proton therapy to your radiation oncology team. They can recommend different forms of palliative care to help manage them.
Clinical Trials of Proton Therapy for Mesothelioma
Many clinical trials highlighted the potential benefits of proton therapy for mesothelioma patients.
Notable proton therapy clinical trials include:
- University College London study (ongoing): Patients are receiving proton therapy for mesothelioma with their survival time compared to those treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
- NRG Oncology study (2023): In this trial, patients received a P/D, chemotherapy, and either pencil beam proton therapy or IMRT. The trial began in 2020 but was terminated in 2023, with results pending publication.
- University of Pennsylvania trial (2020): Late-stage pleural mesothelioma patients had an average life expectancy of over 17 months after starting proton therapy with an overall 2-year survival rate of 37%.
- Photochemistry and Photobiology trial (2019): Proton therapy, photodynamic therapy, and other treatments were used for patients with stage 3 and 4 pleural mesothelioma, resulting in a median survival of over 30 months (2.5 years).
- MD Anderson Cancer Center Study (2015): This trial found that proton therapy reduced radiation exposure to healthy organs like the lungs, liver, and esophagus compared to IMRT.
Contact our team now to see if you can join a mesothelioma proton therapy trial.
How Much Does Mesothelioma Proton Therapy Cost?
Proton therapy for mesothelioma is only available in clinical trials that cost nothing to join. However, you might need to pay out of pocket if you have to travel.
Other treatment-related costs like routine doctor visits, imaging scans, and hospital stays can add up quickly. Even with insurance, you could still face significant medical expenses.
You can work with Mesothelioma Hope to help ease these costs and get the care you need. We can see if you’re eligible for proton therapy and explore compensation options to pay for your cancer-related expenses.
Get our Free Mesothelioma Guide to see all the ways we can assist you.
Learn if Mesothelioma Proton Therapy Is Right for You
Proton therapy for mesothelioma shows promise in helping patients live longer. As this treatment gains wider use, patients may be able to get the cancer-killing benefits of radiation with fewer side effects.
In the meantime, Mesothelioma Hope can help you access proton therapy and other top treatments to fight your cancer.
Work with our team to:
- Find clinical trials testing proton therapy and find out your eligibility
- Get other top treatments if you can’t receive proton therapy
- Pursue compensation to cover mesothelioma treatment expenses
Get started with our Free Doctor Match or call (866) 608-8933 now to connect with specialists who can recommend the best treatments for you.
Proton Therapy for Mesothelioma FAQs
Can proton therapy be used for mesothelioma?
Yes, proton therapy is a promising new treatment for mesothelioma. It allows doctors to deliver a more precise and powerful dose of radiation while minimizing damage to healthy tissues.
Proton therapy for mesothelioma is currently being studied in clinical trials at cancer centers across the country.
What is the survival rate for proton therapy?
According to results from a University of Pennsylvania trial, mesothelioma patients treated with proton therapy had a 2-year survival rate of 37%.
Mesothelioma survival rates measure the percentage of patients still alive a certain number of years after diagnosis.
By comparison, patients treated with traditional radiation therapy had a 2-year survival of 26% in a 2022 review of the National Cancer Database (NCDB).
How do you know proton therapy is working?
Doctors will let you know if proton therapy is helping to treat your mesothelioma tumors. They’ll track how the cancer responds with follow-up testing such as imaging scans.
If your mesothelioma tumors don’t shrink or start to grow back, doctors can recommend other treatments to manage your cancer.
Can proton therapy be used with other treatments?
Yes, proton therapy can be combined with other treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy.
In fact, doctors usually include proton therapy as part of a broader treatment plan in most clinical trials.
Call (866) 608-8933 to learn how proton therapy and other top mesothelioma treatment options could potentially help you live longer.
When does proton therapy start to work?
The effects of proton therapy for mesothelioma can often be seen within weeks, although this varies by patient.
Regular follow-up appointments will help assess if and how well your cancer is responding.