WHAT CAN PROTON THERAPY TREAT? Episode 2: Colorectal (Bowel) cancer

Colorectal cancer or often called "Bowel cancer", covers the umbrella of cancer to the rectal, colon and bowel.

According to Cancer Australia (2025) Bowel cancer is Australia’s second most common cause of cancer death.

Due to the varying nature of all cancers, not every person with bowel cancer will need radiation therapy.

It can be recommended for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer where radiation will often be used before surgery, sometimes alongside chemotherapy.

Due to the treatment area sitting close to the small bowel, bladder and pelvic bone marrow - this is where proton therapy may make a difference. Unlike conventional photon radiation, proton therapy can be planned to stop at the tumour, reducing unnecessary radiation beyond it.

In rectal cancer treatment-planning studies, proton therapy has shown reduced radiation exposure to the small bowel, pelvic bone marrow and bladder compared with conventional photon radiation (Colaco et al., 2014).

This may be particularly important for selected patients with:
• locally advanced rectal cancer
• recurrent rectal cancer
• previous pelvic radiation, where treatment needs to be delivered again with exceptional care.

Proton therapy is not needed for every bowel cancer patient, and it does not replace surgery, chemotherapy or standard radiation. But every Australian deserves access to the technology and specialist advice that can determine the safest, most appropriate treatment for them.

No patient should have to leave Australia before that choice is even available.

Access to life-saving cancer treatment should not depend on a passport.

Australia needs leadership on the matter. We need proton therapy.

Please see the video below if you would like to learn more. Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXerJCjmU1Q 

Please note: Proton Cancer Access Australia has no affiliation with the makers of this video. We are sharing it for general education and awareness only.

Please also sign and share the petition calling on both the Federal and State Governments to make a decision and get Australia’s proton therapy project moving again.

For too many families, this is not an abstract policy issue. It is a potential lifeline.