Treatments

Proton therapy for prostate cancer

Proton therapy is an advanced treatment that sends radiation to the exact size, shape and depth of your prostate tumor. It allows your physician to treat your cancer while helping to protect healthy tissue nearby.

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“Research all of the treatment options available to you, as opposed to taking the first recommendation you receive. It’s critical that you take an active part in your care and that you choose the treatment option that best meets your needs. That’s why I chose proton therapy.”

— Reggie, prostate cancer patient

Target your prostate with precision

With prostate cancer, patients often have a wide range of treatment options, like surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation and more. If radiation is needed, proton therapy can be a safer choice.

Chemotherapy Treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It may be given alone or with other treatments. Treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Chemotherapy may be given by mouth, injection, infusion or on the skin, depending on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. It may be given alone or with other treatments, such as surgery, radiation therapy or biologic therapy. Hormone therapy Hormones can cause some cancers to grow. To slow or stop growth, synthetic hormones or other drugs can be used to block the body’s natural hormones, or surgery is used to remove a hormone-producing gland. Treatment that adds, blocks or removes hormones. For certain conditions (such as diabetes or menopause), hormones are given to adjust low hormone levels. Hormones can also cause certain cancers (such as prostate and breast cancer) to grow. To slow or stop the growth of cancer, synthetic hormones or other drugs can be used to block the body’s natural hormones, or surgery is used to remove the gland that makes a certain hormone. Also called endocrine therapy, hormonal therapy and hormone treatment.

With standard X-ray radiation therapy, the radiation dose is highest right where the X-rays enter your body. The X-rays keep giving off radiation as they go through your tumor and the tissue beyond. With proton radiation therapy, treatment is sent right to your tumor. The goal is for less radiation to reach your surrounding tissue.

Radiation therapy The use of high-energy radiation from X-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. The use of high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy), or it may come from radioactive material placed in the body near cancer cells (internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy). Systemic radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance, such as a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody, that travels in the blood to tissues throughout the body.

These pictures show treatment for a prostate tumor. The colored areas get radiation. The gray and white areas do not. With proton therapy (left), less healthy tissue is exposed to radiation. With standard X-ray radiation therapy (right), more healthy tissue is exposed.

Proton therapy uses a unique feature of protons: They give off the most radiation right before they come to a stop. That’s how we target treatment to your tumor and no further.

standard radiation versus proton therapy

Standard radiation therapy (shown in blue) gives off the most radiation right after the X-rays enter your body. X-rays keep giving off radiation as they move through your tumor and then through healthy tissue on the other side (called the exit dose). Proton therapy (shown in yellow) releases the most radiation inside your tumor. Then the protons come to a stop. There is little to no exit dose compared to standard radiation therapy.

More precision means less damage to healthy cells in your urethra, bladder, bowel and sexual organs. This can translate to fewer short- and long-term side effects and secondary cancers (which can be caused by treatment).

If you have prostate cancer, the radiation oncologists at our proton therapy facility can decide if proton therapy is right for you and tell you more about this option.

Pencil-Beam Scanning

Our radiation oncologists use pencil-beam scanning (PBS) to treat patients with proton therapy. PBS “paints” your prostate with a lot of very thin, very exact beams of protons. The beams are accurate down to millimeters. PBS sends very fast pulses of protons to each planned spot within the tumor until the entire cancer is treated. This method can lower the amount of radiation to healthy tissue even more. That may mean your physician can send a higher, more effective dose to your tumor.

Proton Therapy Facts

Proton therapy may help preserve your testosterone level and lower your risk of secondary tumors in the future.
Treatments are safe, noninvasive (no cuts to the skin are needed) and painless for most patients, helping you recover faster and keep living your life.
Appointments usually take 15–60 minutes. You do not need to stay overnight in a hospital and can go on with your normal routine before and after each visit.
Proton therapy may be an option for you even if you’ve already had radiation for cancer. In fact, it may be your only option for getting more radiation treatment.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved proton therapy for clinical use in 1988. More than 200,000 people worldwide have had this form of treatment.

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Radiation oncologist A physician who has special training in using radiation to treat cancer. Side effects A problem that occurs when treatment affects healthy tissues or organs. Some side effects of cancer treatment are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, pain, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss and mouth sores.

What Is Proton Therapy?

Getting Proton Therapy Treatment

Prostate Cancer Treatments

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Our proton therapy team is here not only to treat your disease, but to listen to you and take care of you and your family. They are experts in proton therapy who focus on giving you personalized radiation treatment and who understand your questions, needs and concerns.