Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Radioterapia con partículas cargadas
Charged-particle radiation therapy (… PAR-tih-kul RAY-dee-AY-shun THAYR-uh-pee)
A type of external radiation therapy that uses a special machine to make invisible, high-energy particles (protons or helium ions) that kill cancer cells. This type of radiation may cause less damage to nearby healthy tissue than radiation therapy with high-energy x-rays.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.