Proton Therapy for Pediatric Cancer: Treatment & Options
Author: California Protons
Last Updated: August 2026
Proton therapy for pediatric cancer is an advanced form of radiation therapy that can reduce radiation exposure to healthy tissues, helping to lower the risk of side effects of traditional radiation.
Patients at California Protons Cancer Therapy Center are treated in collaboration with specialists from Rady Children’s Health, ensuring that care is guided by experienced pediatric oncology teams.
How Proton Therapy Helps Treat Pediatric Cancer
Proton therapy treats pediatric cancer by delivering targeted radiation directly to the tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. This is achieved by controlling how radiation is deposited within the body, allowing the highest dose to be concentrated in the tumor with little to no radiation beyond it.
At California Protons, we foster close collaboration among patients, parents and clinicians to create a personalized treatment plan tailored precisely to a child’s unique needs. Our intensity-modulated pencil beam scanning technology is a highly precise form of cancer radiation treatment that enables our doctors to selectively target a child’s pediatric tumor(s) with highly-controlled doses. This is extremely valuable for children and teens who are still growing, more sensitive to radiation and face greater risks from radiation exposure.
Protons have a physical mass and a positive charge, which allows them to be guided by magnets. They have a physical property which is the bragg peak, the point where protons deposit the majority of their energy right at the tumor site. This technique allows radiation to be concentrated where it’s needed with zero exit dose. What this means is that little to no radiation is delivered to healthy tissues beyond the tumor.
Photons (X-rays) have no mass or electrical charge. They begin releasing energy close to the entry point, and eventually they lose strength as these photons travel through the body. It produces an exit dose, meaning radiation passes through the tumor, exposing healthy tissue to radiation.
By depositing the highest-energy portion of the dose directly in the tumor, we reduce exposure to healthy tissue and the associated side effects that may lead to future problems, including stunted growth, cognitive impairment and radiation-induced secondary cancers. The reduction of radiation-related toxicity also increases the likelihood that children can complete treatment with fewer interruptions or delays, stay active and continue their normal activities.
Pediatric Cancer Proton
Therapy Treatment Details
Types of Pediatric Cancer Treated
- Astrocytoma and other gliomas, including optic pathway/hypothalamic glioma, oligodendroglioma, oligoastrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma
- Atypical teratoid/Rhabdoid tumors
- Craniopharyngioma
- Ependymoma
- Medulloblastoma
- Pineoblastoma
- Intracranial germ cell tumors (germinoma)
- Meningioma
- Retinoblastoma
- Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
- Juvenile angiofibromas
- Lymphoma
- Neuroblastoma
- Neurofibroma
- Osteosarcoma
- Ewing’s sarcoma/Primitive neuro-ectodermal tumor (PNET)
- Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Desmoid tumor
- Histiocytosis X
- Recurrent Cancer
How We Treat Pediatric Cancers
Our approach to pediatric cancer treatment is grounded in delivering effective tumor control while minimizing the long-term impact of radiation on a child’s growth and development. This is achieved through the following:
1. Precisely Targeting the Tumor
Proton therapy for children uses advanced imaging and pencil beam scanning to deliver radiation directly to the tumor with a high degree of accuracy, limiting unnecessary exposure beyond the treatment area.
2. Protecting Healthy Tissues and Critical Structures
By controlling where radiation is deposited, proton therapy helps reduce dose to surrounding organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, and endocrine system, which are particularly sensitive in children.
3. Preserving Functional Development and Daily Life
Treatment planning is designed to limit disruption to normal development, allowing many pediatric patients to continue age-appropriate activities, including school and social interaction, when clinically appropriate.
4. Reducing the Risk of Radiation-Related Toxicities
Careful dose management may help decrease the likelihood of long-term effects such as neurocognitive changes, hearing loss, endocrine dysfunction, and growth abnormalities associated with conventional radiation therapy.
5. Minimizing the Risk of Secondary Cancer
By limiting radiation exposure to healthy tissues, proton therapy may reduce the risk of radiation-induced secondary cancers, an important consideration for pediatric patients with long life expectancy.
Specialized Pediatric Care with Rady Children’s Health
Our team at California Protons partners with Rady Children’s Health pediatric radiation oncologists, pediatric anesthesiologists and pediatric nurses so children are cared for by pediatric experts every step of the way. In addition, our young patients have a dedicated building entrance, a child-friendly play area, a healing outdoor garden and their own recovery room separate from our adult patients.
These are designed to support not only the child’s medical needs, but also their emotional well-being throughout the treatment process, and Rady Children’s Health is recognized as a leader in pediatric oncology care. Our partnership means:
Alignment with Best Treatment Practices
Treatment protocols at California Protons are developed in collaboration with Rady’s pediatric oncology team, ensuring alignment with current research and best practices in pediatric cancer management.
Evidence-Based Decision Making
Every patient’s treatment plan reflects consultation with pediatric specialists who stay current with the latest clinical evidence, including recent publications on proton therapy outcomes for pediatric tumors.
Pediatric-Specialized Care
Unlike facilities that treat both adult and pediatric patients equally, our dedicated pediatric program is designed specifically for children’s developmental and emotional needs informed by research on how specialized care improves both outcomes and family experience.
Benefits of Proton Therapy for Pediatric Cancer
- Proton therapy uses a property known as the Bragg peak to deliver radiation directly to the tumor, allowing the highest dose to be concentrated at the target while minimizing radiation exposure beyond it.
- Advanced proton therapy techniques enable physicians to more selectively deliver high-dose radiation to pediatric tumors while reducing unnecessary exposure to nearby healthy tissues and critical structures.
- This precision is especially valuable in the treatment of pediatric brain and spinal tumors. By limiting radiation exposure to healthy brain tissue, proton therapy may help reduce the risk of treatment-related cognitive effects. In the spine and chest, it can reduce radiation exposure to organs such as the heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal system.
- In pediatric brain tumors such as ependymoma, where pediatric proton therapy treatment often requires targeted radiation near critical neurological structures, proton therapy may help limit exposure to healthy brain tissue and reduce the risk of long-term cognitive and developmental side effects associated with radiation.
- Compared to earlier radiation techniques, proton therapy for children may expand treatment options with complex or difficult-to-reach tumors, including those located near vital organs or structures. It may also be considered in select cases where prior radiation treatment limits the use of conventional approaches.
- Proton therapy is a noninvasive treatment, and most sessions are completed in a relatively short period of time. This allows many pediatric patients to maintain aspects of their normal daily routine during the course of treatment, depending on their individual care plan.
Is
Proton Therapy
Right for Your Child?
Because pediatric patients are sensitive to radiation therapy, proton beam therapy in pediatric oncology may be an effective option for many cancers. Many kids and adolescents tolerate proton therapy well, however, individual responses can vary. In many cases, pediatric cancer treatment involves a combination of therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, depending on the type and stage of the disease.
Treatment recommendations depend on several factors, including:
- Type and location of the tumor
- Stage of the disease
- Whether radiation therapy is part of the treatment plan
- Previous treatments, including prior radiation
- The child’s age and overall health
Medulloblastoma is a cerebellar brain tumor that starts in the base of the skull and can spread to other parts of the brain and spinal cord. The treatment usually involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation to the entire brain and spine. Proton therapy is extremely beneficial for treating medulloblastoma in children because it can prevent radiation dose to the heart, lungs, bowel and other normal tissues. By limiting the radiation, proton therapy reduces the short-term side effects and long-term risk of delayed or abnormal organ development, secondary cancers, heart and lung disease, scar tissue formation and stunted growth.
Ependymoma tumors usually form in the intracranial region of the brain and affect tissues in the central nervous system. Treatment usually involves surgery, followed by radiation. Proton therapy allows for ultra-precise delivery of the relatively high dose of radiation required to control this tumor. This is of vital importance, given the close proximity to the brain, brainstem, spinal cord and optic tracts. These sensitive neural structures also require very special care to ensure they are not damaged by excessive radiation doses.
Germinoma and non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCT) are brain tumors that develop in the germ cells and occur most commonly in children and young adults. Depending on the subtype of the tumor, treatment can vary, but most involve some combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Proton therapy greatly decreases the amount of normal brain tissue that is exposed to the effects of radiation therapy. It also spares other normal tissues and organs in the vicinity of the areas that are at risk for harboring additional disease and require treatment, such as such as the heart, lungs and bowel, whole ventricular system and craniospinal axis.
Lymphoma is a category of cancers that starts in the cells of the immune system. Treatment generally involves a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. Because many lymphomas involve the chest area, proton therapy can be very helpful for pediatric patients, due to its superior ability to spare the heart, lungs, breasts and spine of unnecessary radiation. By limiting the radiation dose, proton therapy for children also decreases the long-term side effects of radiation, such as heart or lung disease, secondary cancers and stunted growth.
Pediatric Proton Therapy
Treatment for Recurrent Cancer
Proton therapy for pediatric cancer is often the best way to treat recurrent tumors in areas that have previously been treated with conventional radiation therapy.
Treating previously irradiated areas can be challenging. The healthy tissues around the recurrent tumor do not fully “forget” the previous radiation dose, and any added dose continues to increase the risk of normal tissue injury. Proton beam therapy may enable doctors to better concentrate the dose to the target and limit it elsewhere, allowing re-treatment with radiation in select patients.
Because proton therapy can more precisely target tumors while reducing radiation exposure to surrounding tissues, it may allow for treatment in areas that have previously received radiation.
Our team works closely with referring physicians and pediatric specialists to evaluate each case and determine the safest and most effective treatment approach.
Treatment Outcomes &
Long-Term Effects
Proton therapy treatment at California Protons Cancer Therapy Center in San Diego may offer similar outcomes to standard X-ray radiation, while reducing long-term and potentially life-threatening side effects such as stunted growth, cognitive impairment, hearing loss and hormonal issues due to radiation damage to healthy tissues and organs. It also offers the possibility of lower chances for secondary cancers later in life due to the reduced radiation exposure to your surrounding healthy tissues and organs.
However, all cancer treatments have advantages and disadvantages. Be sure to discuss all of the potential risks, as well as treatment options, with your child’s oncologist.
Clinical Evidence Supporting Proton Therapy for Pediatric Cancer
Proton therapy’s effectiveness for pediatric patients is supported by research published
in peer-reviewed radiation oncology journals. Clinical studies comparing proton therapy to conventional X-ray (photon) radiation demonstrate measurable advantages:
Reduced Radiation Dose to Healthy Tissues
A dosimetric comparison of proton and intensity-modulated photon radiotherapy for pediatric parameningeal rhabdomyosarcomas show that proton therapy delivers significantly lower doses to organs surrounding the tumor compared to intensity-modulated photon radiotherapy (IMRT).
Improved Long-Term Outcomes
Research on pediatric craniopharyngioma shows proton therapy’s ability to:
- Minimize the risk of treatment-related cognitive effects
- Reduce growth abnormalities and endocrine dysfunction
- Decrease the risk of radiation-induced secondary cancers
- Lower the incidence of cardiac and pulmonary complications
Request A Consultation With California Protons Cancer Therapy Center
If your child has been diagnosed with cancer, our team at California Protons is available to help you explore whether proton therapy may be an appropriate treatment option.
We work closely with referring physicians and pediatric specialists to review each case and develop a treatment approach tailored to your child’s needs.
To learn more or request a consultation, contact our team to discuss your child’s treatment options.
