Tantalum Marker Placement for Proton Beam Radiotherapy

Proton beam radiotherapy is one form of treatment for an ocular cancer called choroidal melanoma. This form of treatment delivers precision radiation to the site of tumor, minimizing damage to normal surrounding tissues. To allow for the best targeting of the radiation beam, an outpatient surgery is performed to place small metallic markers on the outside of the eye around the tumor. These markers are then used to direct the radiation after the eye has recovered from the surgery. This form of highly-specialized treatment has a very high success rate in controlling the melanoma inside the eye.