News, Press Release
New Phase III Study Shows Proton Therapy Significantly Improves Survival and Reduces Toxicity in Head and Neck Cancers
December 29, 2025
A multi-institutional study published in The Lancet on December 11, 2025, outlines significant results of a large Phase III clinical trial comparing proton therapy (IMPT) to traditional photon radiation therapy.
Led by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the study randomized 440 patients with oropharyngeal cancer at 21 sites across the U.S., including 17 proton centers, among them the New York Proton Center. It showed both lowered toxicity and increased survival time for patients with head and neck cancer who received proton therapy.
Key findings that demonstrated benefits of proton therapy over photon therapy include:
- 10% improvement in overall survival at 5 years post-treatment
- Substantially reduced feeding tube dependence
- Improved weight maintenance
- Improved acute/subacute swallowing/chewing/quality of life
- Improved work productivity
The results are detailed in a press release from the National Association for Proton Therapy.
