A clinical trial is underway at the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) using proton therapy to treat cancer. “There are a lot of firsts with this study,” says Prof. Aron Popovtzer, head of the oncology department and the Sharett Institute of Oncology at Hadassah, in an article in The Times of Israel. “This is the first time we are treating with protons in Israel.”
HMO is partnering with P-Cure, an Israeli company that built a special vault for the proton machine for the trial. The trial’s first stage is for patients with aggressive brain, head and neck cancers.
In contrast to conventional photon X-ray radiation that damages surrounding healthy tissues, proton therapy delivers a beam of particles that stops at the tumor and doesn’t affect nearby healthy tissues. This reduces or eliminates debilitating side effects for patients undergoing radiation therapy.
Read about HMO’s proton therapy study in The Times of Israel.
