Proton Therapy to Debut in Israel as Side-Effect Free Cancer Treatment.

Proton therapy, a more precise and less toxic form of radiation therapy for cancer treatment, has arrived in Israel and the Middle East with clinical trials underway at Hadassah Medical Center and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. Proton therapy uses a proton beam that stops at the tumor and doesn't affect nearby healthy tissues, reducing or eliminating debilitating side effects of radiation. The trial's first stage is for patients with brain, head, and neck cancers that have recurred. The Health Ministry has granted Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center the only license to operate a national proton therapy center, which will be completed in three to four years.