Pediatric Proton and Photon Therapy Comparison Cohort

Radiotherapy is routinely used to treat cancer, including pediatric malignancies. This approach is often curative. However, radiotherapy is known to cause considerable morbidity and elevate risks for second cancers. New modalities, such as proton beam therapy, have been developed to reduce radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissue and, consequently, the risk of developing cancer at those sites. The magnitude of the purported reduction in risk of second cancers remains uncertain. No randomized clinical trials comparing the two radiotherapy types have been conducted in children, who are more susceptible to the late effects of radiation compared to adults. Observational studies on this topic, while generally reassuring, have had important methodological limitations. The Pediatric Proton and Photon Therapy Comparison Cohort aims to meet this need.