Skip to main content
. 2014 Oct;21(5):251–262. doi: 10.3747/co.21.2207

TABLE II.

Recommended indications for proton-beam therapy from other nations

Nation Recommendations
United States (astro)a,93 Group 1:

  • Ocular tumours, including intraocular melanomas

  • Skull base tumours, including chordoma and chondrosarcoma

  • Primary or metastatic spinal tumoursb

  • Primary or benign solid tumours in children, including occasional palliative treatments

  • Patients with genetic syndromes such as neurofibromatosis type 1and retinoblastoma

  • Hepatocellular cancer with hypofractionated regimens

 Group 2:
All other indications are suitable when the patient is enrolled in a clinical trial or patient registry.
Englandc,94 All ages:

  • Skull base chordoma or chondrosarcoma, spinal chordoma

  • Spine and paraspinal bone and soft-tissue sarcomas (non-Ewing)

Pediatric (<16years of age):

  • Ependymoma

  • Selected low-grade gliomas

  • Craniopharyngioma

  • Pineal parenchymal tumours (not pineoblastoma)

  • Rhabdomyosarcoma

  • Ewing sarcoma

  • Pelvic sarcoma

  • Retinoblastoma

  • Esthesioneuroblastoma
Denmark a,95 Adults:

  • Chordoma and chondrosarcoma, other skull base sarcomas

  • Ependymoma

  • Primitive neuroectodermal tumour

  • Pituitary adenoma and sphenoidal meningioma

  • Acoustic neuroma

  • Arteriovenous malformation

  • Germinoma (brain, thorax, and abdomen)

  • Eye and orbital tumours

  • Lymphoma

  • Selected sarcomas

  • Nasopharyngeal cancer recurrences

 Children and young adolescents:

  • Medulloblastoma

  • Ependymoma

  • Craniopharyngioma

  • Germinoma

  • Optic pathway glioma

  • Retinoblastoma

  • Nephroblastoma

  • Osteosarcoma or Ewing sarcoma

  • Other sarcomas
Netherlands a,96 Standard indications:

  • Skull base or spinal chordoma and chondrosarcoma

  • Other intracranial, spinal, and paraspinal tumours, including meningioma

  • Pediatric tumours, including bone tumours, soft-tissue sarcoma, low-grade glioma, meningioma, medulloblastoma, ependymoma, and neuroblastoma

 Potential indications:

  • Re-irradiation (intracranial tumours, head and neck cancer)

  • Paranasal sinus tumours

  • Nasopharyngeal carcinoma

  • Retroperitoneal sarcoma
a

Indications for proton therapy within a clinical trial or patient registry are not listed.

b

Where the spinal cord would exceed the tolerance with photon therapy or has previously been irradiated.

c

Additional requirements: curative intent, good performance status (World Health Organization 0–1), no other coincident diagnoses likely to limit 5-year survival or to make a prolonged period abroad difficult to manage, no metastatic disease, no re-treatment cases, weight 150 kg or less. Rhabdomyosarcoma includes orbital, parameningeal, head and neck, and pelvic sites only.

astro = American Society for Radiation Oncology