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Protons stop inside the tumour; modern X-ray beams (IMRT) still exit through healthy tissue. That physical difference only matters if it changes cure or late harm enough to justify the cost, which randomised adult trials have not settled.
IMRT and pencil-beam protons can both shape high dose around a target. Protons remove the exit dose and raise linear energy transfer at the Bragg peak; IMRT is cheaper, more widely available, and has a larger randomised evidence base. Adult comparisons are mixed: some oesophageal data favour protons on toxicity; prostate and breast trials (PARTIQoL, RADCOMP) are the tests of whether late-tissue alpha/beta plus variable RBE produce a real window. Paediatric cases and re-irradiation near critical organs remain the clearest established uses. Do not treat proton as automatically better than IMRT.
Shares Bragg peak, Pencil-beam scanning and intensity-modulated proton therapy, Alpha/beta ratio, Relative biological effectiveness (RBE) and the tag radiation-wave5.
Shares Bragg peak, PARTIQoL, Relative biological effectiveness (RBE), Linear energy transfer (LET) and the tag radiation-wave5.
Shares Bragg peak, The linear-quadratic model and fractionation, Alpha/beta ratio, Relative biological effectiveness (RBE).
Shares The linear-quadratic model and fractionation, Relative biological effectiveness (RBE), Use LET, RBE and alpha/beta to decide when protons beat IMRT, Proton therapy.
Shares Bragg peak, Pencil-beam scanning and intensity-modulated proton therapy, Proton therapy, IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam).
Shares Relative biological effectiveness (RBE), Linear energy transfer (LET).
Shares Pooled coverage-with-evidence for proton therapy across all centres, Surgery and radiotherapy cure most, get least, Proton therapy, Non-small-cell lung cancer.
Shares Relative biological effectiveness (RBE), Linear energy transfer (LET).