When was proton therapy first used for prostate?

When was proton therapy first used for prostate?

The Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Center began treating prostate patients with proton radiation in April 2001. Between 2001-2002 a series of Phase I-II protocols were performed to verify treatment techniques and assess toxicity. Once these revealed minimal toxicity proton beam therapy passed into general clinical use (22).

What is the success rate of proton therapy for prostate cancer?

After 3 years, 46% of patients in the proton therapy group and 49% of those in the traditional radiation therapy group were cancer free. Fifty-six percent of people who received proton therapy and 58% of those who received traditional radiation were still alive after 3 years.

Is Proton beam therapy better for prostate cancer?

In proton therapy, radiation is delivered in proton beams. The key difference from X-rays is that proton beams stop once they’ve delivered their energy to the target. By using proton therapy, doctors can target prostate cancer more precisely and at great intensity with less risk of damaging surrounding tissue.

When was proton therapy approved by the FDA?

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved proton therapy for treatment of cancer in 1988. The first proton therapy treatments for cancer were delivered in 1954.

Is proton therapy better than prostatectomy?

Protons are so precise that they were used successfully for decades at the Harvard cyclotron to treat skull base tumors, with excellent long-term outcomes. I’ve been told that the cure rate with proton therapy is less than one-half the cure rate with either radical prostatectomy (76%-80%) or ProstRcision® (83%).

How long has proton therapy been used?

Proton therapy was FDA approved for use in the U.S. in 1988. Proton therapy has been around for almost 60 years; tens of thousands of patients have been treated, reimbursed by Medicare and many other private insurers.

Can prostate cancer come back after proton therapy?

Rising PSA after initial treatment often comes as a shock to the person affected, but it’s actually a common problem. Studies indicate that biochemical recurrence affects roughly 15%–30% of men initially thought to be curable with localized treatment of prostate cancer.

What is the future of proton therapy?

It is generally acknowledged that proton therapy is safe, effective and recommended for many types of pediatric cancers, ocular melanomas, chordomas and chondrosarcomas. Although promising results have been and continue to be reported for many other types of cancers, they are based on small studies.

Is proton beam therapy the future?

Among our predictions: proton therapy systems will continue to get smaller, proton dosimetry will become significantly more sophisticated, and devices to manipulate the size and shape of the proton beam, such as multi-leaf collimators, will permit treatment of large complex tumors, as well as very small lesions.

What should PSA be after proton therapy?

Ideally, post-treatment PSA levels should be less than 0.5 ng/ml, but this is rare; levels of 0.6–1.4 ng/ml may occur.

Who is a candidate for proton therapy?

Particularly good candidates for proton therapy are patients with solid tumors near sensitive organs, such as brain, breast and lung cancers. While, for recurrent, pediatric and ocular cancers, proton radiation is viewed as the standard of care.