Proton Beam Therapy

jtl
jtl Member Posts: 456
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Anyone try this yet? Pat, I was thinking of you and the whole issue of re-radiation. I wonder if this very new and limited treatment would have less side effects? Hopefully I don't have to find out but it always pays to think ahead.

Adam Yauch aka MCA of Beastie Boys fame is dead at 47. He had cancer of the parotid gland with lymph node involvement although that has not yet been ruled the cause of his death.
RIP

Comments

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #2
    you know, that is the theory
    less scatter. Less collateral damage. Not availabe where I was treated, and not discussed. I did a literaypture review awhile back, and there isnt a lot of published data yet for head and neck. Bet it is in the future though.
  • PTadvocate
    PTadvocate Member Posts: 1
    #3
    Proton Beam Therapy
    jtl,
    The motivation behind the introduction of PBT is diminished side effects of treatment, since protons have no exit dose and less entrance dose than conventional X-ray based radiation therapy. Head and neck cancers are one of the primary indications for PBT. For starters, one can see the (clinical summary) paper published by researchers at UPENN on www.frontiersin.org (September 2011, Volume 1, Article 24). And for Pat, it is interesting to note that re-irradiation is one of the primary indications for PBT. UPENN expects that up to 50% of their patients may be re-irradiation cases. That's because PBT introduces less toxicity into surrounding tissues. This is important because often times, patients are told when a re-occurance is discovered that there are no treatment options that could be safely administered. PBT is new hope for previously irradiated cases. PBT adoption has been slow, primarily because of higher priced equipment and a limited number of institutions able to afford it. But there are newer, more financially viable systems now available. PBT will save money in the long-term for healthcare expenditures in society, since the treatment & management of treatment-related side effects will be eliminated or diminished (depending on the cancer site, stage, etc.). Practitioners should run, not walk, toward adoption of this promising cancer therapy. PBT will lower the costs of healthcare and improve quality-of-life for cancer patients. This is undisputed for pediatrics, and the evidence is now trickling out for adults as well.
  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #4
    PTadvocate said:

    Proton Beam Therapy
    jtl,
    The motivation behind the introduction of PBT is diminished side effects of treatment, since protons have no exit dose and less entrance dose than conventional X-ray based radiation therapy. Head and neck cancers are one of the primary indications for PBT. For starters, one can see the (clinical summary) paper published by researchers at UPENN on www.frontiersin.org (September 2011, Volume 1, Article 24). And for Pat, it is interesting to note that re-irradiation is one of the primary indications for PBT. UPENN expects that up to 50% of their patients may be re-irradiation cases. That's because PBT introduces less toxicity into surrounding tissues. This is important because often times, patients are told when a re-occurance is discovered that there are no treatment options that could be safely administered. PBT is new hope for previously irradiated cases. PBT adoption has been slow, primarily because of higher priced equipment and a limited number of institutions able to afford it. But there are newer, more financially viable systems now available. PBT will save money in the long-term for healthcare expenditures in society, since the treatment & management of treatment-related side effects will be eliminated or diminished (depending on the cancer site, stage, etc.). Practitioners should run, not walk, toward adoption of this promising cancer therapy. PBT will lower the costs of healthcare and improve quality-of-life for cancer patients. This is undisputed for pediatrics, and the evidence is now trickling out for adults as well.

    More ammo is good in a
    More ammo is good in a battle.

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