Dados do Resumo

Título

Key advances and challenges of Proton Beam Therapy in cancer treatment pediatric.

Introdução

Proton beam therapy is a promising treatment for pediatric cancer once it provides longer survival and greater precision to the target organ. These benefits reduce toxicity to surrounding healthy tissues and decrease the chances of developing secondary cancer, neurological disorders, and endocrine dysfunction. However, it is worth mentioning that this therapy has limitations for certain types of cancer, requiring more research for its improvement.

Objetivo

Review and analyze the advances and challenges of proton beam therapy, highlighting the benefits of this therapeutic modality, such as safety, precision and effectiveness, identifying areas that require improvement so that the therapy can provide a basis for research and health policies .

Métodos

A search was conducted in the PubMed database, covering review articles, retrospective studies, and randomized studies published in the last 5 years. The search strategy used included the terms "proton therapy" or "pediatric proton therapy," resulting in 50 articles, of which six were selected based on the established inclusion criteria, including five retrospective studies and one meta-analysis. Articles that did not align with the central theme were excluded from the analysis. The inclusion criteria for the review were: articles involving relevant results for cancer treatment in children, that demonstrated less aggressiveness to improve quality of life after oncological treatment and that used proton beam therapy as an alternative treatment.

Resultados

It has been identified that proton therapy offers advantages over photon therapy in cancer treatment. Its unique characteristics allow for reduced radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues, which results in better local control, quality of life and survival rates. In children and young adults, proton therapy significantly reduces adverse effects and the risk of developing secondary cancers, due to its lower dose and greater precision in tissue selection. A systematic review and meta-analysis compared the incidence of secondary cancers in children treated with proton therapy versus photon therapy, revealing an incidence of 1.8% for photons and 1.5% for protons. Monte Carlo simulation studies have shown that doses in patients of different ages and sexes can vary. In organs, doses can reach up to 200 mSv for brain treatments and 900 mSv for craniospinal treatments, primarily due to the presence of secondary neutrons.

Conclusões

Proton beam therapy in pediatric cancers provides increased survival and reduced risk of secondary cancers. Its reduced dose allows control of the spread of other malignant neoplasms and minimizes the side effects of radiation on surrounding healthy tissues, proving to be an efficient therapy with good prognoses and, consequently, a better quality of life.

Palavras Chave

Proton therapy; oncological treatment; pediatric proton therapy