The protons that can change the world of cancer caused people .

Though protons were discovered by Ernest Rutherford in 1919, proton therapy didn't commence unitil 1954, at Berkely nuckear physics labs.The Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory partnered with Massachusetts General Hosputal to befin terating cancer patients in 1061. But the necessary technology is so expensive thet treatment remained confined to physics research labs until 1990. THat's when the Proton Treatment Center opened at Loma Linda University Medical Center in southern Calafornia to offer the first hospital based program.
Intrigued by the proton therapy research then available, Komaki and Cox visited Loma Linda early on, and began to push for a similar unit at M. D. Anderson when they returned to Houston. Their efforts paid off in 2006, whenthe $125million Proton Therappy Center opened its doors offering a complet range of prooton treatments. It is the only such facility in the Southwest. Inaddition to Houston and Loma Linda, the nation now has centres in Flotida, Indiana and Massachusetts, with several more being planned. Today, Komaki and her cokkeagurs terat thoracic malignancies- therapy that requires a tean if seeven dictors, several physicians and dosimetrists anf a couple dozen technicans-in 10 to 15 patents daily,with four of them talking proton therapy. Like other radiation treatments, proton therapy runs about seven weeks. In all , the Proton TherapyCenter, with Dr. Andrew Lee as medical director, treats 75 to 80 patients daily.

To Lomaki , this is just the beginning. Our physicists have already made a machine here that creats a scanning beam, she says . We're the only place in the world with a scanning  beam, which means we can remove nutron contamination. Nrutrons are created when protons enter the body; though it happens rarely they can cause secindary malignancy a decade or more later. She also believes that proton therapy os extremelu important to the future of cancer care. These patients are already sick from cancer, she says, Why make them get sicker frim treatment?Now, we can make them more comfortable-killing cancer cells but not killing normal cells . Now , they can live a normal life while getting treatment. Whatever happens next  in this field, Dr. Ritsuko and her colleagues at UT M. D Anderson are likely to be at the forefrot.