Volume: 1 Issue: 1
Year: 2025, Page: 1-7,
Received: June 24, 2024 Accepted: Feb. 18, 2025 Published: April 22, 2025
A brain tumor is a collection of neoplasms, each with its own unique biology, prognosis, and treatment. Some tumors, such as meningiomas and lymphomas, do not originate from brain tissue and are more accurately classified as “intracranial neoplasms.” Primary brain tumors include more than 100 distinct types, each with its own set of presentations, treatments, and outcomes. Among those affected, 59% are adult females and 41% are adult males, while 3.9% of children aged 0-14 years are diagnosed with brain tumors. Proton therapy has been used for many years to treat a variety of cancers, including brain tumors. This type of radiation therapy uses protons instead of X-rays, delivering radiation more precisely to the targeted brain area, which results in fewer side effects. As a result, proton therapy is emerging as a promising treatment option for cancer. Some proton treatments use a machine called a gantry, which provides dosimetric advantages over photon radiation therapy due to the steep dose fall at depth, characterized by the Bragg peak. In this article, we will explore brain tumors, their statistics, pharmacological actions, clinical trials, and the use of proton therapy in treating adult and pediatric brain tumors, skull base tumors, and the associated side effects.
Keywords:
Brain tumors, Bragg peak, Gantry, Proton therapy, Skull base tumors
Dasgupta A, Tejpal Gupta T, Jalali R. 2016. Indian data on central nervous tumors. A summary of the published work. South Asian J Cancer 5(3): 147–153.
National Brain Tumor Society. Brain Tumor Facts.
Weber DC, Lim P, Tran S, Walser W, Bolsi A, Kliebsch U, Beer J, Bachtiary B, Lomax T, Pica A. 2020. Proton therapy for brain tumors in the area of evidence-based medicine. Br J Radiol 93(1107): 20190237.
Noel G, Gondi V. 2016. Proton therapy for tumors of the base of the skull. Chin Clin Oncol 5(4).
Angelis LM. 2001. Brain tumors. N Engl J Med 344(2): 114–123.
Petruccelli M, Parent A, Holwell M, Dama H, Tsui G, Liu ZA, Tsang DS. 2023. Estimating potential benefits to neurocognition with proton therapy in adults with brain tumors. Int J Part Ther 9(4): 261–268.
Mizumoto M, Oshiro Y, Yamamoto T, Kohzuki H, Sakurai H. 2017. Proton beam therapy for pediatric brain tumor. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 57(7): 343–355.
Nie M, Chen L, Zhang J, Qiu X. 2022. Pure proton therapy for skull base chordomas and chondrosarco-mas: A systematic review of clinical experiences. Front Oncol 12: 1016857. Cancer. Net Editorial Board. 2022. Proton therapy.
Foote RL, Stafford SL, Diasio RB. 2012. The clinical case for proton beam therapy. Radiat Oncol 7: 174.
Merchant TE, Hoehn ME, Khan RB, Sabin ND, Klimo P, Boop FA, et al. 2023. Proton therapy and limited surgery for paediatric and adolescent patients with craniopharyngioma (RT2CR): a single arm phase 2 study. Lancet Oncol 24(5): 523–534.
Stross WC, Malouff TD, Waddle MR, Miller RC, Peterson J, Trifiletti DM. 2020. Proton beam therapy utilization in adults with primary brain tumors in the United States. J Clin Neurosci 75: 112–116.
© Vignan’s University, Guntur
Sajja Ravindra Babu, Balusupati Anjali Venkata Lakshmi. A Review on Proton Therapy for Brain Tumors. Vig J Biotech Phar. 2025;1(1):1-7