title: Proton radiotherapy for pediatric tumors: review of first clinical results.
abstract: Radiation therapy is a part of multidisciplinary management of several childhood cancers. Proton therapy is a new method of irradiation, which uses protons instead of photons. Proton radiation has been used safely and effectively for medulloblastoma, primitive neuro-ectodermal tumors, craniopharyngioma, ependymoma, germ cell intracranial tumors, low-grade glioma, retinoblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and other soft tissue sarcomas, Ewing's sarcoma and other bone sarcomas. Moreover, other possible applications are emerging, in particular for lymphoma and neuroblastoma. Although both photon and proton techniques allow similar target volume coverage, the main advantage of proton radiation therapy is to sparing of intermediate-to-low-dose to healthy tissues. This characteristic could translate into clinical reduction of side effects, including a lower risk for secondary cancers. The following review presents the state of the art of proton therapy in the treatment of pediatric malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Unità Operativa di Protonterapia, Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento, Italy. barbara.rombi@apss.tn.it.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rombi
authors.affiliation: Unità Operativa di Protonterapia, Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento, Italy. sabina.vennarini@apss.tn.it.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vennarini
authors.affiliation: Unità Operativa di Protonterapia, Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento, Italy. lorenzo.vinante@apss.tn.it.|Dipartimento di Medicina, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy. lorenzo.vinante@apss.tn.it.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vinante
authors.affiliation: Unità Operativa di Protonterapia, Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento, Italy. daniele.ravanelli@apss.tn.it.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ravanelli
authors.affiliation: Unità Operativa di Protonterapia, Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento, Italy. maurizio.amichetti@apss.tn.it.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amichetti
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D061766:Proton Therapy; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons