No Foolin’
It amazes me to read remarks from distinguished Oncologists, Radiologists, and Urologists who are selling their particular treatment for Prostate cancer.
One Radiation Oncologist (who ends his comments with “I know”) is dead wrong or dealing with old data.
And the costs estimates by these folks are all over the place. I would expect higher costs from the newer centers, but the costs tend to settle back to reasonable for the result, as time passes and competition increases. So let’s look at my take based on actual experience rather than conjecture or speculation which is often based on NO experience with Protons.
Here’s my take based on my personal experience and interviews with other patients who also chose “Protons” (with a “R”) for Prostate cancer.
My Prostate cancer showed up in January 1999 as a rise in my PSA from 3.6 to 12.6. I did not do anything about it until it my PSA went to 15.9 and then I was advised by a friend of mine who is a Doctor to go to Loma Linda for PROTON treatment. I never heard of Proton treatment prior to his statement.
As early as 1999, that was the best advice I’ve ever received.
The average age for Prostate Cancer in 1999 was 69 years old and I was 69 years old. In the “Support Group” meeting at Loma Linda I found that we had men in the program from 40 to 83 years old.
Today Medicare and most insurance companies still pay the bill and should forever. And, if there is a problem, the expert insurance staff at most Proton centers can help you.
“It’s April 1, 2010, I’m cancer free! I do not have any side effects whatsoever. In fact, I asked for a Colonoscopy after my Proton treatment from a local expert and it did not reveal ANY DAMAGE from this form of “Radiation” (Protons with an “R”)!
Talk to a PROTON EXPERT, at Loma Linda, CA; MD Anderson, Houston, TX; Proton Institute in Jacksonville, Florida, University of Pennsylvania’s new center, and others. Ultimately, you have to make the decision regarding your treatment. The “Links” on this site may help.
A new Procure Cancer Center using Protons just opened in Oklahoma City in July 2009! More are planned and on the way.
Almost all Urologist or surgeons recommend surgery and radiation oncologists “IMRT”, seeds (Brachytherapy, minimum low x-ray radiation) or traditional radiation with all of it’s new names.
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, extremely accurate, and have the unique capability of being more precisely controlled for application to the cancer or benign tumor.
You can visit this website www.protonblog.com and watch the video about Protons first entered in the June 2009 Blog.
The FACTS are that Worldwide about 60,000 have been so treated with Protons for many cancerous and benign tumors. Loma Linda Proton center is the leader in this technology. The contact number for Loma Linda new patients is: (800) 496-4966.
A former Loma Linda employee and my friend Gerry Troy, University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute, (904) 588-1251 or mobile (904) 874-3040 ‘gtroy’ at floridaproton.org is a patient advocate at Jacksonville.
M.D. Anderson, the top rated Cancer Center in Texas, has a “Proton” center that opened in 2006.
Effectiveness and outcome of prostate treatment using protons (or almost any other treatment methodology), depends on your condition when being treated. I was 69 when treated in 1999, in good shape and now I am 80 (as of Feb. 4, 2010).
The results normally depend on your PSA, Gleason Score and Staging. My PSA was 15.9, my Gleason 6, my Staging T1c. In my last physical in Nov. 2009 my PSA is less than 0.1 as it has been for over six years.
Bob Marckini wrote the book You Can Beat Prostate Cancer And You Don’t Need Surgery to Do It, is available at www.protonbob.com, Amazon.com or LuLu Publications.
Since the MD Anderson’s Proton Center opened in mid-2006 and they have treated many patients with protons in fact, the first Proton treatment there was provided to a retired Air Force Colonel with “Lung cancer”.
I am not a Doctor, only a happy former patient, I HAVE NO SIDE EFFECTS! 10 YEARS, 7 MONTHS, post treatment. Seems like a no-brainer when you have a non-invasive treatment that works.
Those who do not favor protons obviously need to do their homework and learn what’s going on. For example, Mass General Hospital’s Proton center has used “Protons” since 1961 and began treating prostates in 1979, although today their focus is not on Protons for Prostate Cancer favoring Protons for other cancers and often focused on children.
The Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute (MPRI) in Bloomington, IN has been in business for some time with protons and started on Prostate cancer in 2004. The Proton Institute University of Florida in Jacksonville, FL, is open, and I went to the opening on Oct. 13th 2006 and at that time met 15 men who had already been treated.
With Hampton University in Hampton Virginia open now, two in the Chicago area and the University of Pennsylvania open, and treating now, similar facilities along with the Siteman Cancer Center in St Louis, and two new centers in Oklahoma City (one now open), along with a Proton center in Miami this is the rapidly growing approach to treat Prostate Cancer and many other cancers and benign tumors.
In fact you will also find a link to Protons in South Korea here.
Loma Linda, where I was treated, treats many other diseases with protons including:
Choroidal Melanoma, Pituitary, Acoustic Neuroma, Meningioma, Astrocytoma, Other Brain, Head and Neck, Prostate, Other Pelvis, Craniopharyngioma, Orbital, Paraspinal Tumors, Chordoma/Chondrosacoma, Sarcoma, Other chest, AVM, Other Abdominal, SNVM, Breast, Lung Liver.
I merely relate my experience and do not receive pay of any kind to tell people about my successful experience with Protons. Although I study Protons from one to three hours daily since 1999, here’s my caveat!
NO MEDICAL ADVICE: Material appearing here represents opinions offered by non-medically-trained laypersons. Comments shown here should NEVER be interpreted as specific medical advice and must be used only as background information when consulting with a qualified medical professional.
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