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Healthcare Design That Strips the Atom.
- Article from:
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Building Design & Construction
- Article date:
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February 1, 2007
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2007 Reed Business Information, Inc. (US). This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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By Jeff Yoders, Associate Editor
Proton therapy is changing the way physicians treat cancer--and changing the design criteria for treatment centers that offer the revolutionary therapy.
In proton therapy, the medical team directs a beam of sub-atomic protons at the patient's tumor site. The protons are able to accurately target and kill tumors--both near the surface and seated deep within the human body--while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues and organs. This is a particular problem for tumors around optical nerves, the spinal cord, the head and neck, the prostate, and the central nervous system, areas where conventional radiation would damage the surrounding ...