If you were diagnosed with prostate cancer...

[JimBob]

who would you trust for treatment? Is there a particular doctor or medical group, university, that is on the cutting edge? I do not have prostate cancer, but I want my ducks in a row. My FNP suggested Loma Linda University in Ca. He said they have photon radiation which "eliminates it" (his words).

 

[Vince]

Studies have shown that when it comes to eliminating tumors and treating prostate cancer, proton beam therapy works about as well as IMRT. However, relatively little research has been conducted comparing the safety profiles of proton beam therapy and IMRT. One recent study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA), is helping to provide much-needed clarity.

For the study, investigators analyzed Medicare claims data from nearly 13,000 men treated with radiation for nonmetastatic prostate cancer (that is, cancer that had not spread beyond the prostate) between 2000 and 2009. The men had been treated with conventional radiation, IMRT, or proton beam therapy.

The investigators reported that IMRT was associated with fewer adverse gastrointestinal effects and fewer hip fractures than conventional radiation, but more ED. Overall, there was no significant difference between proton beam therapy and IMRT—with one major exception. Men treated with IMRT were 34 percent less likely than those who had proton beam therapy to develop gastrointestinal problems after their treatments.

This seems to confirm results from an earlier study showing that men undergoing proton therapy had significantly higher rates of gastrointestinal bleeding and ulceration than those receiving other types of radiation.

Does Proton Beam Therapy for Prostate Cancer Live Up to Its Promise? | Health and Wellness Alerts