advantages with proton beam

[Guest guest]

>

> Does anyone have any thoughts on Proton Therapy for primary PCA

> treatment. Is it currently available anywhere other then

California?

> What would be the advantages compared to other types of radiation.

>

> Thanks for any comments.

, this is part of an email I sent to another wife whose

husband is being treated with IMRT. She was wondering about the

difference between protons and IMRT. She said that I did a good job

of explaining it, so I thought that this might be helpful. We heard

recently that proton treatment at Mass. General in Boston is being

reserved for other types of cancer due to the limitations on numbers

of people who can be treated. They are promoting their IMRT

treatments for prostate. It is kind of a party line, if you get my

drift.

" Loma started treating prostate cancer with protons in 1991. It

has been around since the 1940's mostly in research settings though.

There have been long term studies recently about protons, just not

very many, since the numbers of men treated are so much lower, I

guess. Just last summer some of the proton pioneers published a 15

year study. I believe, based on weeks of research and talking to many

men treated with protons, that IMRT has as good a cure rate as

protons. If protons had not been available we would have gone with

IMRT.

The basic differences between the 2 radiations are pretty simple to

understand once one has a some idea of how radiation works in the

first place. Photons (IMRT) do not have mass. They enter the body at

their highest rate of energy. As they pass through the body they

damage healthy cells as they collide with them. The collision creates

a scatter effect. As they travel through the body they lose energy.

After hitting the target they continue on through the body. Protons

do have mass and are heavy. They do not harm the healthy cells as

they move through the body and there is no scatter. Protons enter the

body with a low rate of energy. They rapidly rise to their peak

energy just before they hit the target. This is know as the Bragg

Peak. You can Google Bragg Peak protons. After the target has been

hit the energy drops to near nothing. There is virtually no exit

dose. We figured that with less healthy tissue being damaged there

would be less risk of side effects, not necessarily a higher cure

rate. "

, If you have more questions about protons feel free to email

me at my AOL address. I can answer most questions or steer you in the

direction of someone who can. Gregg completed his 9 weeks of

treatment in Loma a year ago this March. The ONLY side effect

he has is a decreased amount of semen at orgasm. The treatment itself

was very easy to get through. Gregg just turned 59. His gleason score

was 3+3, pre-treatment PSA was 4.9. Two cores positive, stage T1c.

The diagnostic numbers are important as is a man's age, sexual

function and overall health.

Laurel