Proton Therapy of Cancer Treatment
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 June 2026 | Viewed by 109
Special Issue Editors
Interests: proton therapy; FLASH radiotherapy; motion management; optimization algorithm; adaptive radiation therapy; Monte Carlo simulation
Interests: radiation therapy; head and neck cancers; proton therapy; stereotactic body radiotherapy; stereotactic radiosurgery
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Proton therapy is rapidly evolving into one of the most promising modalities in radiation oncology. Its precision and ability to spare healthy tissues—especially when using pencil beam scanning—make it particularly advantageous for treating pediatric and hard-to-reach tumors. Technological innovations are expanding the limits of what is possible, bringing in a new era of enhanced capabilities, more affordable solutions, and groundbreaking treatment approaches.
Among the most exciting frontiers is FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT), which delivers ultra-high dose rates and has shown remarkable potential in preclinical studies for reducing normal tissue toxicity without compromising tumor control. Proton systems, especially those based on cyclotrons with high beam current output, are uniquely positioned to deliver FLASH-RT effectively. Innovations such as single-energy layer delivery are further enabling ultra-high dose rates while simplifying hardware and maintaining high-quality dosimetry.
Beyond FLASH, a wave of cutting-edge developments—including proton arc therapy, upright positioning, MRI-guided proton therapy, compact single-room systems, and spatially fractionated proton RT—are reshaping how we approach complex and radioresistant cancers.
This Special Issue invites contributions from researchers, clinicians, and industry experts to highlight the latest breakthroughs in proton therapy. Join us in accelerating the clinical translation and shaping the future of precision cancer care worldwide.
Dr. Minglei Kang
Dr. Benjamin Durkee
Dr. Kuo Men
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- proton therapy
- FLASH radiotherapy
- upright
- pediatric cancer
- head and neck cancer
- affordable proton solutions
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
