Posted by jjtug on May 24th, 2009 — Posted in General
One of the key points as we get into the possible rationing of Protons must be the fact that in my experience the Lifetime costs of Proton today are less than x-rays. I talk to a lot of men and often their wives about their post-treatment distress and marvel at the fact that I do not even see my Urologist since treatment in 1999 about the Prostate cancer I had in earlier that year.
My PSA stays at 0.1 I’m just three months short of TEN years, post treatment without side effects and the process gets better continuously.
So it is of some concern that members of the Medical Insurance community are stopping payment for Protons in some states and that seems to be contrary to medical Progress and better lives for many who can benefit from Proton treatment.
I was so happy with my proton treatment that I opened a web site at prostateproton.com in early 2000 (initial contact has been changed to prostateblog.com to attain a broader contact base) that provides information to those men and women who inquire about my personal experience with proton treatment.
Despite reading many differing views on the proton I have NO side effects whatsoever. And, after giving talks about protons to many prostate cancer support groups I was dismayed that so many men who had other treatments were discussing what diaper to wear, and listening to recommendations about how to handle a myriad of problems from the doctors who often talked to these groups. My talks have been provided to the US Too groups under the National Cancer Society that are located nationwide.
Please understand that I spend 3 to four hours a day since I was diagnosed in early 1999 on the subject of “prostate cancer” and have read all that I can find about other treatments.
Rumors on cost and effectiveness must be dispelled particularly since lifetime costs of treatment with protons is far less than any treatment with any X-Ray based treatment. The problem is that almost all radiation treatments use X-Rays up to and including “Cyberknife”.
Protons on the other hand are NOT X-Rays, are extremely accurate, and have the unique capability of being more precisely controlled for application to the cancer or benign tumor being treated.
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Posted by jjtug on April 7th, 2009 — Posted in General
“We invite you to find out about proton therapy, our Center, the opportunities we offer for treatment and our team.”
The RPTC in Munich is the first fully certified European proton radiation centre that provides a complete hospital setting for the treatment of cancer tumours.
This innovative therapeutic procedure involves the use of high-energy proton beams to treat cancer. The special characteristic of these proton beams is that protons allow three-dimensional targeting of the tumour by contrast with the X-rays used in conventional radiation therapy. This permits highly effective doses to be delivered to the tumour while reducing the side effects of radiation by minimizing trauma to the surrounding healthy tissue.
Just as this valuable Proton Center opens and treats it’s first Patient in March 2009 – The Wall Street “Health Journal” put’s out it’s article: Prostate Cancer: Weighing Options by Melinda Beck
Ignores the Proton due to incomplete research.
Anyone who writes about Prostate Cancer Treatment should know about Protons – Once again, I am personally over nine years and seven months post Proton treatment and have NO side effects.
These are facts and grouping Protons with Radiation in general is a gross mistake. Go back to my site’s opening paragraph and note the statement, “This permits highly effective doses to be delvered to the tumour while reducing the side effects of radiation by minimizing trauma to the surrounding healthy tissue.”
That’s a fact folks, I’ve been through it with over 8,000 other men at Loma Linda Proton Center alone and we are happy.
Look at the evidence my web site alone www.prostateblog.com and then read the testimonies at www.protonbob.com.
For the WSJ, wake up and smell the roses!
Jim Tuggey
April 7, 2009
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Posted by jjtug on March 22nd, 2009 — Posted in General
Forbes Article “The 150 Million Zapper” in the magazine dated 16 March 2009 has its own results. You can quickly go to the comments and discover the general unhappiness over this inadequately researched article, read responses by men who have actually been treated with Protons for Prostate Cancer.
IN THE MEANTIME:
- The Roberts Proton Therapy Center, University of Pennsylvania Health System, in Philadelphia, appears to be on schedule to open in 2009.
- Followed by the Procure Proton Therapy Center set to open in the summer of 2009 in Oklahoma City.
- Followed by the Hampton University Proton Treatment Center in Hampton Virginia. They have received their equipment and hope to have it installed and up by 2010.
- And, at the Northern Illinois University Proton Center - ground was broken last October 2008, equipment has been inspected and they should be on target for late 2010.
I will keep you informed as these new centers come on line to provide a solution to Prostate cancer that has been wonderful for me.
At this time I am trying to get a firm forecast on the following (over a year old) announcement from the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
“SEATTLE, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ — The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) 2008 and Northwest Hospital & Medical Center today announced the signing of a letter of intent to explore the development of a new, state-of-the-art cancer treatment facility offering proton beam radiation therapy.”
Jim Tuggey
March 22, 2009
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Posted by jjtug on March 1st, 2009 — Posted in General
I have been sponsoring thirty men who do not have e-mail. Over the past few years some have gone “on-line” and a few have passed away. This changes the characters, however we always keep in touch.
It hurts me to lose one of these men that I communicate with regularly, however on January 2009, one great guy, departed.
He was treated with Protons in 2001, had no side effects and was the victim of a severe heart attack at age 85. His wife wrote me a note and explained that he was symptom free of any Prostate trouble for the entire time from 2001 to his demise.
Historically, another of my sponsored men passed with the same story.
My story is also consistent with the great results for the treatment of Prostate cancer with Protons that these men experienced.
Read Bob Marckini’s book – Bob has without question helped more men to make the right decision about Protons than anyone. You Can Beat Prostate Cancer And You Don’t Need Surgery to Do It, is available at the Proton Bob web site, Amazon.com or LuLu Publications.
If your doctor doesn’t know about Protons, contact me and I’ll insure that you get an answer from someone who does know and has the information so you can make your own choice.
I repeat, Protons are the best choice for medical treatment I have ever made in my life!
Jim Tuggey
March 1, 2009
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Posted by jjtug on January 31st, 2009 — Posted in General
Let’s start with what’s important - A second opinion from a Proton expert explaining the Proton option is extremely important.
Today, January 27th 2009, I complete 9 years and five months since treatment for Prostate Cancer in 1999 at Loma Linda’s James M. Slater Proton Center. During this period I have been blessed with two new granddaughters
There is an article floating around citing the cost or Proton Centers and the treatment – my take on that is the fact that I do not require continuous follow-up and routinely find out about my Prostate through a PSA test that comes with my annual physical with my regular doctor. When the treatment does the job as it should, the cost of follow-up and overall cost is lower.
I have met many men who are constantly visiting their Urologist for various recommendations regarding urinary incontinence, any man should know that with radiation therapy using X-Rays, possible side effects include incontinence, the loss of control over the release of urine, and impotence, the inability to get or sustain an erection.
Of course the cure for severe incontinence can be “sometimes” corrected with surgery. Luckily Protons are so accurate using the “Bragg Peak”, that they hit the cancer and then drop to zero radiation minimizing any damage and/or side effects.
I have not had any bowel problems, fatigue, or tissue damage from my treatment with Proton Radiation.
Starting with a PSA of 15.9 in 1999, my last physical Nov. 2008 PSA is 0.1.
“Protons” are the best choice for medical treatment of any kind that I have ever made in my life! Philadelphia, PA.and Hampton, VA., are opening soon.
Pay attention! - A second opinion from a Proton expert explaining the Proton option is extremely important!
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Posted by jjtug on December 26th, 2008 — Posted in Book Reviews, General
What a great Christmas gift to be cancer free at the start of 2009 when in August 2009 I will complete ten cancer free years.
Dr. Hanson’s book “The Edge Of Medicine” has so many of my tabs in it that I’ve had to color code them for my personal priorities. His enthusiasm for the new Roberts Proton Therapy Center, in the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine at the Hospital for the University of Pennsylvania is exciting and reflects the growing truths about this wonderful medical capability.
His statement: “In fact, one of the advantages of proton therapy over standard x-rays is that the proton beam’s radiation so thoroughly ravages the tumor’s DNA that it’s ordinary repair mechanisms are completely ineffective.” My information from Loma Linda is that the proton hits the cancer cell hard and destroys it’s DNA. The result is that the DNA ladder reconstructs with a normal non-cancerous cell.
My trip last month to Loma Linda was re-assuring as they continue to expand the uses of the Proton and lead the way in experience with patients treated.
My key point is related to my experience –
- I do not have prostate cancer.
- I do not have any side effects.
- My current PSA is 0.1
ASK your doctor about Protons and if he doesn’t know about them contact me and I’ll insure that you get an answer from someone who does know and has the information so you can make your own choice.
Protons are the best choice for medical treatment I have ever made in my life!
Jim Tuggey
December 26, 2008
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Posted by jjtug on November 19th, 2008 — Posted in General
My PSA on November 17th, 2008 is 0.1 and there is NO evidence of disease by physical exam. Nine years, 2 months and 20 days after being treated with Protons at Loma Linda, CA – and those are my current results.
New Proton Centers are emerging in 2009, 2010 and 2012 and uses for the Proton are expanding to many body sites. Loma Linda’s Proton experts are leading the way with over 8,500 men treated for Prostate Cancer alone and nearly 5,000 others with Protons for various cancerous and benign tumors at Loma Linda.
All the existing centers are making advances in their use of the Proton and I personally stay in fairly close contact with the Proton Institute in Jacksonville, Florida largely due to my friend and patient advocate there, Mr. Gerry Troy.
When I consider the fact that I have seen the birth of two new granddaughters since treatment in 1999, it’s a wonderful result.
Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute (HUPTI), Hampton, Virginia claims to be the World’s Largest Free-Standing Proton Therapy Center, expects to begin patient treatment in 2010.
ProCure Treatment Centers plans openings in Boca Raton, Florida, Boca Raton Proton Therapy, LLC (BRPT), Oklahoma, Illinois, and Michigan. Oklahoma City is well on the way.
DO NOT let detractors keep you from this positive experience – many I have heard about are protecting their current business interests and if the Hippocratic Oath, an oath traditionally taken by physicians pertaining to the ethical practice of medicine, means anything - your doctor should have the information so you can make your own choice.
It’s not the doctor’s cancer, it’s all yours.
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Posted by jrolls on November 17th, 2008 — Posted in Press
Interesting piece (link) on NPR today. There is some discussion of Proton Therapy, and it starts 8 minutes into this piece.
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Posted by jjtug on September 28th, 2008 — Posted in General
And yet, the prestigious medical centers continue to generally ignore the Proton. They focus on the following and while Protons might get a line or two in their papers it’s not much. The big four to most experts are:
- Expectant Management
- Brachytherapy
- Radical Prostatectomy
- External Beam Radiation Therapy
(with the exception of Proton all seem to be X-Ray based.)
Nine years and one month ago, I was treated for Prostate Cancer at Loma Linda University’s Proton Treatment Center, in California, started on July 6, 1999 and finished on August 27th, 1999. Each day, the actual Proton treatment was less than 5 minutes.
Traditional radiation treatments use X-Rays from 3-D and Brachytherapy up to and including “Cyberknife”. Protons are NOT X-Rays, and have the unique capability of being more precisely controlled for application to the cancer or benign tumor. So X-Rays cannot be stopped once started and therefore do some damage, no matter how minuscule, to healthy tissue.
I believe that a comparisons “Randomized Clinical Trials after 50,000 or so have already been treated worldwide with Protons, is simply a political decision with the heat coming from those doctors who do not have the Proton capability or have a treatment stake driven in other treatments and do not want buy this capability.
I am not insane and I would not submit to a trial where there was any possibility of inferior treatment when I knew that Protons were available. I am not a Doctor, only a happy former patient, I HAVE NO SIDE EFFECTS! 9 YEARS, 1 MONTH, post treatment.
“Market Forces” will come into play as more Proton Centers are added to the medical community and cost reductions based increased availability and changes in the customer base. The fact that I have not seen an urologist regarding anything related to my Proton treatment for over 8 years, is in itself a cost reduction. Protons are the rapidly growing approach to treat Prostate Cancer and many other diseases with Protons as below and should not be denied to anyone.
Protons are the real deal and treat Choroidal Melanoma, Pituitary, Acoustic Neuroma, Meningioma, Astrocytoma, Other Brain, Head & Neck, Prostate, Other Pelvis, Craniopharyngioma, Orbital, Paraspinal Tumors, Chordoma/Chondrosacoma, Sarcoma, Other chest, AVM, Other Abdominal, SNVM, Breast, Lung, & Liver.
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Posted by jjtug on August 30th, 2008 — Posted in General
What exciting news!
All kinds of new ideas are emerging regarding Prostate cancer including a recommendation that the medical profession stop taking PSA’s from men over 75.
Another group says that Protons are too expensive for Prostate Treatment when other modalities will do and that they should focus on more difficult cancers with the existing capability.
Last, those who have their business threatened by new Proton Centers are working hard to discredit Protons and have made some outlandish statements and comparisons that vary widely from the current 2008 facts.
Of course, those of us who have had Proton treatment almost always have a different point of view and already know that Protons are used in treating MANY other body sites. In fact, if you’ve read the MD Anderson reports you’d know that almost the very first patient for their new center was a retired Colonel, treated for “lung cancer”.
In my case, I just go to my Doctor for routine physicals and he looks at my PSA and does a DRE as part of my annual. The lack of repeated trips to a Urologist in my case mitigates the cost of Protons when so many men I have met are in and out of their Urologist office often.
Then there is a group that insist that we do a study to verify the efficacy of the Proton, however, I would think you’d have to be out of you mind to chance a Placebo in a Randomized test. There is plenty of information around on the Proton including five, ten and fifteen year reports from Loma Linda and more to come as these wonderful centers come on line.
Last, as more centers come on line, our beautiful “Market Forces” will dictate the cost and establish new price parameters. Note that the Siteman Cancer Center in Saint Louis, MO expects to be on-line in 2009.
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