- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
previous post
next post