Proton Beam Therapy for Prostate Cancer

When caught early, the survival rate for prostate cancer is excellent. There are currently many available treatments for the disease, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, with new ones being developed. Proton beam therapy has been around for a long time and is still proving to be a successful way to combat the prostate cancer.

History

• The first treatment center for proton beam therapy opened at Loma Linda University Medical Center in 1990. Five more centers opened around the country and, as the treatment for prostate cancer has become more widely recognized as successful, there are more being built.

Description

• Proton beam therapy works by radiating only the prostate cancer tumor site. Since the radiation is more precise than the standard treatments, it leaves the surrounding organs and tissue intact.

Actual Treatment

• In some cases, just one proton therapy treatment can be effective to eradicate the prostate cancer, but it is more likely that it would take many treatments over several weeks.

Side Effects

• There are minimal side effects with proton cancer therapy since it focuses on just the tumor. If side effects are experienced, they are similar to that of normal radiation treatment -- fatigue and nausea.

Considerations

• Proton beam therapy is a successful treatment for prostate cancer that is covered by most insurance plans. The only major downside is that treatment centers are not readily available to all.