How Effective is Proton Therapy in Treating Prostate Cancer

Proton beam radiation

Prostate cancer is a condition that manifests when abnormal cells develop and form a malignant tumor on the prostate. If the condition goes untreated, the affected cells can metastasize in an intemperate way spreading to other parts of the body such as bladder, rectum, ureters, bones among others. This is a type of cancer that only affects men and its symptoms are relative unclear during early stages. However, advanced stages of prostate cancer spread faster and are highly fatal.

As with other forms of cancer, prostate cancer has several treatment therapies such as brachytherapy, radical prostatectomy and proton treatment. When diagnosed with this type of cancer, the most fundamental thing you’ll want to know is the effectiveness of prostate cancer treatments. Whether you choose proton therapy for prostate cancer or other conventional treatments, your choice of treatment will depend on a number of factors. These include cancer severity, health, age and psychological state. No single treatment can be said to be better than the other and so it’s important to consider your options wisely with the help of a specialist.

Although, it has been established that proton therapy for prostate cancer offer compelling benefits and has higher success rate than other treatment options. Some of its advantages include.

1.Non-invasive cancer treatment
Proton therapy is a non-invasive procedure that requires no recovery time. The treatment is also painless and it does not affect patient’s energy level.

2.Minimum gastrointestinal side effects
Unlike other prostate cancer therapies such as X-rays, proton treatment decreases the radiation dose to gastrointestinal structures by about 59%, reducing chances of gastrointestinal side effects.

3.Reduced risk of impotency
One of the most common side effects of treating prostate cancer with an invasive procedure like surgery is the possibility of erectile dysfunction. With proton therapy, specific cancerous cells can be targeted and destroyed without affecting the adjacent body organs. Studies show that patients who’ve undergone this treatment have significantly reduced the risk of impotence while majority of men affirming that their libido is still intact after treatment.

4.Reduced risk of urinary complication
Since proton therapy radiation only targeted the affected cells, patients are able to avoid incontinence problems and other urinary tract complications. Proton therapy for prostate cancer is also associated with minimum side effects and intense radiation dosage may be used without affecting healthy tissues and organs.

While there are no sure ways of ensuring you cannot develop prostate cancer, experts recommend taking healthy diet and physical exercise to improve your overall health. However, early diagnosis of cancer is often the best way to manage the condition before it worsens.