[proust]

But Chemo is a jobs program.

“One industry analyst put the size of the global chemotherapy market at $97 billion in 2017.”

[HartleyMBaldwin]

How about proton energy pills?

[HangnJudge]

High LET (Linear Energy Transfer) radiation, causes relatively less “skin burn” due to deeper dose buildup from proton recoils.

[sissyjane]

My husband had proton beam radiation for prostate cancer six years ago in Loma Linda. We stayed there for three months. They did everything to help us medically and otherwise. Housing and everything.

[seawolf101]

[HangnJudge]

Beats the old Cobalt-60 units

[chuckles]

I had my prostrate cancer treated at Houston MD Anderson with Proton therapy 7 years ago. No side effects besides a sunburn on my hips. Just had my PSA of .2 for the 7th year and a colonoscopy is clear except for diverticulitis and a prolapsed hemorrhoid. My brother had radiation at a clinic and died 2 years ago with bone and lung cancer. He had to wear diapers for bowel and urinary incontinence. Proton therapy is hands down the right choice if you can make that choice. They will tell you if the cancer has spread it's less effective, but I saw a man that had throat cancer that had spread to his chest that got treated with proton and normal radiation and chemo. He's still alive 7 years later and didn't lose his jaw as the "Experts" predicted back in Alabama. Proton therapy is used for much more than just prostate cancer. Children with brain tumors, leg and arm tumors, kidneys, livers, and more might be available for treatment.

I will say this,....my doctor was Dr.Lee, who actually wrote the software for the machine. He was a pioneer for Proton Therapy. He has since moved to Dallas and my doctor now, I don't even know. I don't want to speak ill of anyone, but losing Dr Lee was a big loss for the Houston program IMO. Still, Proton Therapy has to be the number one choice for anyone who can get it.

[bk1000]

While researching the various options for prostate cancer treatment, I looked in to proton therapy. I was told that photon radiation along with internal radiation was indicated in my case. They were offering proton therapy alone for older patients. I couldn’t bring myself to go through surgery due to the recovery, and I didn’t want the “seeds” (LDR) left inside me if it could be helped. I chose HDR for the internal portion followed by five weeks of daily radiation. No side effects that a daily Flowmax can’t handle, and my PSA is dropping like a rock. I was interested in proton therapy as it was reported to cause less damage to other organs in that area. I elected to have a spaceOAR implant to isolate the prostate and it seems to have done its job. Things aren’t like they were for me back in the day, but I am still more or less “functional” at 62. I am thrilled there is continuing progress in this field.

[neverevergiveup]

Proton therapy is definitely better, but insurance companies have been resistant to paying for it - citing lack of enough data. The problem is that the complications of radiation therapy can take many years to manifest, so doing the studies to prove what is generally known from preclinical studies takes decades-long follow up. It's not fair to patients. The complications from mantle radiation for Hodgkin's disease can be terrible, including coronary disease, valvular disease, pneumonitis with fibrosis, and secondary malignancies. Proton therapy is much more exacting, and thus less likely to cause these complications.

[DoodleDawg]

The equipment used in proton beam therapy costs between $30 million and $40 million. So no medical center is going to invest in one unless they are pretty sure they can attract the patients to pay for it. Chemo has a much lower overhead.