Prostate Cancer Blog – Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer

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.

NBC’s George Lewis appeared on NBC TV with a report on his experience at Loma Linda’s Proton Treatment center. The link may not be available for long if not accessed quickly.

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Nine years ago this August 27th, 2008 I was treated for Prostate Cancer at Loma Linda University’s Proton Treatment Center, in California. The treatment involved 40 work days for about 30 minutes including undressing, into a hospital gown, treatment and re-dressing, started on July 6, 1999 and finished on August 27th, 1999. Each day, the actual Proton treatment was less than 5 minutes. I understand now August, 2008 that the treatment length is 45 work days.

My case is explained on my web site at www.prostateproton.com and further via the “links” page. Another powerful web site is Proton Bob where many testimonies from men who were treated with protons can be read. Bob Marckini runs this site.

Based on my personal experience at Loma Linda, proton treatment in my opinion, and that of many others treated with protons whom I have met, is the new Gold standard without the unpleasant side effects often mentioned in articles on other “radiation” or surgery of any kind. I firmly believe that the “detractors” are SELLING what they have and see Protons as a threat.

If you follow the money you would be impressed by the funds allocated to the new Proton centers coming on line as you read. University of Pennsylvania, Hampton University, Northern Illinois University, a center under development at Oklahoma City and funding for the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis Missouri to build a Proton facility.

Note: “Jeffrey Bradley, MD, associate professor of radiation oncology, has been named the first director of the Kling Center for Proton Therapy, a facility for treating cancer patients with a new, highly precise form of radiation therapy. The center is scheduled to open in summer 2009 at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.”

Good news for the “to be” diagnosed.