Radiotherapy is frequently utilized as the first treatment for low-grade cancer that has not spread outside the prostate gland, or has spread only to nearby tissue. It is also sometimes utilized if the cancer was not completely removed or comes back after surgery. Progression-free survival for men treated with radiation is comparable to men having surgery. When the cancer is more advanced, radiation may be used to shrink the tumor and provide pain relief. This article is dedicated to a discussion of Proton Therapy which represents the most advanced type of radiation available today.

Differing from high-energy X-rays, proton beams focus almost all of their energy on their target, with a low amount of radiation affecting the tissues from the surface of the skin to the front of the tumor. Also, there is almost no impact on tissue beyond the tumor. This attribute enables doctors to hit tumors with higher, more effective radiation doses than is possible with gamma radiation.

Although proton therapy is thought to be the most advanced form of radiation therapy available, the cost and physical size of the equipment have limited itsuse to a very small number of cancer centers. The promise of Proton Surgery, as it's sometimes called, lies in its ability to destroy cancerous cells with no adverse impact on nearby healthy cells. This characteristic significantly reduces potential side effects. It also allows doctors to increase the radiation dose, theoretically improving cure rates.

One of the largest studies of Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer, published in the June 1, 2004, issue of the International Journal of Radiation and Oncology, evaluated 1,255 men who had been treated for localized prostate cancer in the 1990s at the Loma Linda University Medical Center's Proton Treatment Center. The study concluded that proton therapy resulted in disease-free survival rates comparable to those of surgery or conventional radiation, but with a reduction in side effects, such as incontinence and impotence.

Proton radiation therapy is currently available at the following locations:

Proton Treatment and Research Center at Loma Linda University Medical Center – located in California east of Los Angeles

Francis H. Burr Proton Center at Mass. General Hospital – in Boston, Mass.

Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute at Indiana University - in Bloomington, Indiana

The University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute – Jacksonville, Florida

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's Proton Center - Houston, Texas

Proton Centers are under construction at the following locations:

Proton Therapy Center at University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, Pa. Scheduled to open in 2009

Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute –near Norfolk and Williamsburg, Virginia - Scheduled to open in 2010

Northern Illinois University Proton Therapy Center - 35 miles west of Chicago - Scheduled to open in 2010

ProCure Proton Therapy Center, Oklahoma City, located at the INTEGRIS Cancer Campus - Scheduled to open in 2009

As radiation treatment proceeds, it often causes patients to become tired. Resting is important, but doctors usually advise patients to try to stay as active as possible. Studies have indicated that exercise helps to reduce fatigue and improves quality of life during radiation therapy. While Proton Therapy results in a lower frequency of side effects, all radiation has the potential to cause some of the following problems.

1) Frequent urination, burning while passing urine.

2) During and after treatment you may develop diarrhea, rectal leakage, and an irritated large intestine. Most of these problems go away over time.

3) Problems controlling your urine or problems with leaking. Although this side effect is less common than after surgery, the chance of incontinence goes up each year for several years after treatment.

4) Sexual dysfunction