Cancer treatment techniques are forever evolving, much to the relief of patients throughout the world. When it comes to treating prostate cancer with radiation therapy, both IMRT and proton therapy provide viable options. Considering the pros and cons of both techniques is wise if you are looking into treating prostate cancer without resorting to surgery.
Prostate Cancer
According to the MedlinePlus website, prostate cancer risk increases with age, being very rarely diagnosed in men under the age of 40. Symptoms include alterations in urinary habits, including difficulty passing urine, increased frequency of urinating, slight urinary incontinence and pain while urinating or ejaculating.
Prostate Treatments
The three types of treatment available to an individual with prostate cancer involve surgery (removal of all or part of the prostate), chemotherapy (injection with drugs to poison the cancer cells) or radiation (high-energy radiation used to destroy the cancerous tissue). Both proton therapy and IMRT use radiation.
Adminstration
According to Dr. Jack Mostwin, Medical Editor of the Johns Hopkins Prostate Bulletin, proton therapy consists of utilizing a more-focused application of radioactive waves to combat prostate cancer when compared with traditional IMRT treatment. This means that proton therapy is able to more effectively limit the amount of damage done accidentally to surrounding tissue, making it a more precise treatment method.
Efficacy
According to Dr. Mostwin, the percentage of men who remained free of abnormally high PSA (prostate specific antigen, a marker for prostate cancer) readings five years after treatment with proton therapy was around one-third greater than it was for those treated with conventional IMRT radiation (80 percent versus 60 percent). This indicates that proton therapy might not only be better at preventing collateral damage to healthy tissue but also better at wholly eliminating the cancer.
Availability
The major downside to proton therapy is both its availability and its cost. As only a handful of hospitals around the country have access to proton beam technology, this could pose an insurmountable obstacle for many individuals who could otherwise benefit from proton therapy treatment. California, Florida, Indiana, Texas and Massachusetts are currently the only states where there are hospitals with proton-therapy technology.
Tags: proton therapy, prostate cancer, IMRT radiation, that proton, that proton therapy, therapy both
