"Proton Surgery"

Proton surgery should be one of the first treatments considered for any form of cancer. Not really surgery this term is used to describe a specific form of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is often utilized as the first treatment for low-grade cancer that has not spread outside the prostate gland, or has spread only to nearby tissue. It is also sometimes used if the cancer was not completely removed or recurs after surgery. Progression-free survival for men treated with radiation is about the same as for men having surgery. When the cancer is more advanced, radiation may be used to shrink the tumor and provide relief from symptoms. This article is dedicated to a discussion of Proton Therapy which represents the most advanced type of radiation available today.

Differing from high-energy X-rays, proton beams deposit almost all of their energy on their target, with a low amount of radiation deposited in tissues from the surface of the skin to the front of the tumor. Also, there is virtually no impact on tissue beyond the tumor. This attribute allows doctors to hit tumors with higher, more effective radiation doses than is possible with gamma radiation.

While proton therapy is thought to be the most advanced form of radiation therapy available, the cost and physical size of the equipment have limited the technology's use to a very small number of cancer centers. The promise of Proton Surgery, as it's sometimes called, lies in its ability to destroy cancerous cells while sparing nearby healthy cells. This feature greatly reduces potential side effects. It also allows doctors to increase the amount of radiation, theoretically improving cure rates.

One important study of Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer, published in the June 1, 2004, issue of the International Journal of Radiation and Oncology, evaluated 1,255 men who were treated for localized prostate cancer in the 1990s at the Loma Linda University Medical Center's Proton Treatment Center. The study concluded that treatment with proton radiation resulted in disease-free survival rates similar to those of surgery or conventional radiation, but with reduced side effects, such as incontinency and sexual dysfunction.

Existing Proton Radiation facilities include the following:

Proton Treatment and Research Center at Loma Linda University Medical Center – located in California east of Los Angeles

Francis H. Burr Proton Center at Mass. General Hospital – in Boston, Mass.

Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute at Indiana University - in Bloomington, Indiana

The University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute – Jacksonville, Florida

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's Proton Center - Houston, Texas

Proton Centers are under construction at the following locations:

Proton Therapy Center at University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, Pa. Scheduled to open in 2009

Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute –near Norfolk and Williamsburg, Virginia - Scheduled to open in 2010

Northern Illinois University Proton Therapy Center - 35 miles west of Chicago - Scheduled to open in 2010

ProCure Proton Therapy Center, Oklahoma City, located at the INTEGRIS Cancer Campus - Scheduled to open in 2009

As radiation treatment progresses, it may cause patients to become tired. Resting is important, however doctors usually advise patients to try to stay as active as they can. Studies have indicated that exercise helps to reduce fatigue and improves quality of life during radiation therapy. While Proton Therapy results in a lower frequency of side effects, all radiation has the potential to cause some of the following problems:

1) Frequent urination, burning while passing urine.

2) During and after treatment you may experience diarrhea, rectal leakage, and an irritated large intestine. Most of these problems go away over time.

3) Problems controlling your urine or problems with leaking. Although this side effect is less common than after surgery, the chance of incontinence goes up each year for several years after treatment.

4) Sexual dysfunction

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