“Prostate Cancer Meets the Proton Beam” By Fuller Jones. Fuller Jones is a veteran 140 space launches and is a retired NASA engineer. I enjoyed his book and know that you will, especially if you are deciding on a treatment for Prostate cancer.
And then I read “Prostate Cancer Survivors Speak Their Minds” by Arthur L. Burnett II and Norman Morris. Released in 2010, this book features Surgery experiences by Arnold Palmer and other well known men who had surgery for their Prostate cancer. I am happy for them if they are happy however; I am disappointed that the “Sell” is still in place for surgery with the after effects they experience in this book while I am satisfied with “NONE!” with Protons after 10 years and 9 months.
In October 2010 Loma Linda will celebrate the 20 Year Anniversary of their Proton center. They are closing in on 15,000 people treated with protons and they have spent all this time improving the applications to 22 specific body sites and others. Breasts, Lungs, and Liver have been treated since 2007.
One of the three gantries has been recently modified to a robotic arm to place the patient in the treatment zone and research continues to evaluate possible improvement in other Proton treatment techniques.
Can you believe that when I was treated, there were two options for treatment and now the University of Pennsylvania (treating now) and Hampton University are coming on line. They will join MPRI in Indiana, MD. Anderson in Texas, Proton Institute in Jacksonville, Florida and four Procure sites that are open (Oklahoma City) or under construction with groundbreaking in New Jersey as the latest.
These are exciting times when prices in some Proton Centers are already coming down and the future is bright.