title: Evaluation of the clinical applicability of proton beams in definitive fractionated radiation therapy.
abstract: We report on the treatment of 317 patients treated either wholly or in part with proton beams at the Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory. These include: 130 patients treated for definitive radiation therapy of choroidal melanoma; 17 patients treated for tumors of the base of skull, cervical spine and cranium, which abut structures of the central nervous system (CNS); 23 patients treated for sarcomas of soft tissue and bone; 65 patients treated for carcinoma of the prostate; 14 patients treated for carcinoma of the rectum and anus; and 23 patients treated for squamous carcinoma of the oral cavity and oro-pharynx. Data on causes of failure and morbidity of treatment are presented. Overall the results are judged to be extremely encouraging. In particular, the treatment of the choroidal melanomas and sarcomas abutting CNS structures have clear clinical value, and the treatment of prostatic tumors and tumors of the head and neck are thought to be promising.
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011522:Protons; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy / Q000379:methods*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000532:radiotherapy; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy
chemical_list: D011522:Protons