Proton Therapy is often known as Proton Beam Therapy, and today it is used to treat many cancers, especially prostate cancers.
A Few Words About Prostate Cancer:
In men, the situation where prostate cells start growing and multiplying violently, the functioning of surrounding tissues is also interrupted. Such cancer cells can eventually damage other body parts and their respective functioning.
Doctors will recommend both radiation therapy and surgeries for the early stages of this cancer because both of them will give similar outcomes. On the other hand, if the patient is having an advanced level of prostate cancer, it would be best to prefer radiation therapy. Additionally, doctors also treat more aggressive tumors by combining radiation therapy and hormone therapy. And the most prominent benefit of preferring proton therapy for prostate cancer in India is that it is precise, painless, and has less influence on surrounding tissues.
What Is Proton Therapy?
Proton therapy uses positively charged elementary particles called protons instead of X-rays to treat tumors.
Proton therapy involves precise targeting of affected cells with less delivery of radiation energy to the other healthy tissues. Additionally, proton therapy is the most preferred therapy in the case of tumors near sensitive areas. For example, eyes, brain, prostate (in men), and spinal cord.
The Target Range Of Tumors:
At every proton therapy treatment centre in India, the practitioner will first examine everything and then inform you about the number of treatments and will finally determine the dosage.
Proton therapy is suitable for several kinds of tumors, including:
- Pancreas
- Bone
- Liver lungs
- Breast
How Proton Therapy For The Prostate Works?
Proton therapy is conducted with the help of professionally used synchrotrons or cyclotrons specializing in speeding up the protons. This particular device produces high energy that will eventually make the protons travel to the patient’s body. And finally, the proton will deliver the required amount of energy to the tumor.
The primary reason for preferring proton therapy for prostate cancer in India is its benefit of transforming only the required amount of radiation. Thus, this therapy will not give radiation to the other tissues and influence their functioning.
How Can You Prepare For Proton Therapy?
Before you undergo comprehensive proton therapy, your experienced team will educate you regarding the proper planning before starting the procedure. This planning will ensure that the radiation will eventually reach the target spot.
This pre-planning typically includes:
- Planning The Protons’ Path: The proton therapy experts will make you undergo some pre-tests to predict the exact position of the tumor. The patient will have to undergo MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CT (Computerized Tomography) so that the doctor can discover the exact area requiring accurate treatment. This will help them to decide about the best way to reach there with high-energy proton beams.
- Determining The Accurate Position Of The Patient Throughout The Procedure: The proton therapy for prostate cancer in India is solely dependent on the patient’s position. Throughout the proton therapy, the patient must lie still, and hence, the team will use cushions and restraints to position you. Moreover, the doctor will mark the exact position where it is necessary to deliver the radiation.
What Is This Proton Therapy Procedure Like?
Transferring the energy of a high-energy particle beam to the tumor is the main objective of this cancer treatment. Positioning the patient’s body and adjusting the equipment is the topmost concern here.
In brief, the patient will have to remain still throughout the procedure no matter what kind of machine will be used. for example,
- A proton therapy machine for prostate cancer that will rotate around a patient’s body.
- A proton therapy machine for prostate cancer that will stay at rest. Instead, the table on which the patient will be lying will move.
Additionally, the best part about proton therapy is that it is non-invasive, which means you don’t need to be resting on the bed for a while after the procedure. Instead, you can resume your normal activities right after the treatment session.
Things You Can Expect During The Proton Therapy For Prostate Cancer:
Your doctor will tell you about the proton therapy treatment centre in India near your location. In addition, you might need to learn about the following details:
- It may take 10-15 minutes for one session, and you may need to go through this treatment five days a week. These sessions may continue for eight weeks.
- Minimal risk of post-treatment impotence.
Additionally, there are some points when patients tolerate the sessions pretty well. They continue to exercise and resume their other activities easily.
Benefits Of Having Proton Therapy For Prostate Cancer:
- Proton therapy is noninvasive, and hence the patient will not feel any pain.
- This proton therapy is provided in outpatient settings and needs no recovery time.
- Proton therapy will not have wild side effects and will eventually have no influence on your energy level.
In addition to all this, proton therapy will not have an impact on other vital organs nearby. For example, bladder and rectum.
Outcomes Of Proton Therapy For Prostate Cancer:
If you have taken proton therapy for prostate cancer in India, your health expert must have advised you to go for timely imaging throughout the entire procedure. You will be asked to go for imaging even after your proton therapy.
This will help them to understand how your body is reacting to the proton beam therapy.
Possible Side Effects Of Proton Beam Therapy:
- You may notice an unusual redness like sunburn on the area where the high-energy proton beam was delivered.
- The patient may experience erectile dysfunction after receiving proton therapy.
Besides all these side effects, this proton therapy will never influence a man’s sexual activities. On the contrary, there are numerous men who have reported that they continued to be sexually active even after treating their tumor through proton therapy. In short, this shortlist of proton therapy side effects is the primary reason why most doctors prefer proton therapy for prostate cancer in India.
Why is proton therapy for prostate cancer the best?
A person selecting proton therapy is not a simple choice when compared to chemotherapy, surgery, or hormone treatments. Every treatment serves a particular objective.
The treatment depends upon the aggressive power of cancer and the stage of its diagnosis. Other parts include past treatments, age, and any other health state which requires specific treatments unbearable.
Proton therapy is higher in cost which is not under the coverage of insurance claims and not accessible easily. The proton therapy for prostate cancer researched bigger trials when distinguished with other kinds of radiation.
Final Words
Traditional radiation therapy includes less acceleration of photons or x-rays which reach directly to the target via outsider beam such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy. IMRT is the most common radiation therapy. However, as a torch beam spreads during covering distance, so do x-rays offer radiation to other parts of the body which results in major side effects. Moreover, x-rays do not stop here as they go beyond the target at a slower pace.
The possible side effects can last from short duration to longer duration, small as well as big. To overcome this, the commitment from unique innovation offers accurate force on the tumor which needs an appropriate beam.
Proton therapy looks to accomplish the commitment by accelerating the beam over the targets without touching healthy tissues. The beam produces its force as per their landing plan which results in lowering side effects.