Overview

Most prostate cancer begins in the gland cells in the prostate. Known as a silent killer because men often do not have symptoms in early stages, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer other than skin cancer among men in the United States and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men. If prostate cancer is detected early and before the cancer spreads, patients have a nearly 100 percent chance of survival after five years. Survival rates for all stages of prostate cancer have increased since the 1990s, but stabilized in recent years.

Proton therapy is a precise treatment for prostate and other cancers that delivers high doses of radiation directly to targeted areas. In prostate cancer patients, proton therapy targets the prostate gland and also the pelvic lymph nodes. At Texas Center for Proton Therapy, our radiation oncologists and their teams use images from the patient’s dedicated treatment planning computed tomography (CT) and sometimes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to direct proton beams at the targeted region. The unique physical properties of proton treatment minimize exposure to healthy, normal tissues.

Benefits of Proton Therapy

Proton therapy can treat tumors in sensitive areas of the body. The treatment’s accuracy works to eliminate cancer cells while minimizing exposure to non-targeted, healthy tissue near the prostate. As a result, men get the benefit of extremely precise targeting with a lower risk for potential side effects.
Notable benefits of proton treatment for prostate cancer:

• The high-energy, precisely-targeted proton beams can deliver high doses of radiation to destroy cancerous cells, reducing recurrence rates for many cancer cases.
• Proton therapy is non-invasive and may result in fewer side effects than some other treatments, including impotence, incontinence, and rectal/bowel side effects.
• Patients can maintain their current quality of life during and after treatment.
• It is sometimes used to treat areas that are near previously irradiated regions.
• Compared to intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) proton therapy patients are exposed to less overall radiation, roughly the equivalent of 20,000 pelvic X-rays.
• Texas Center for Proton Therapy offers imaging with a 3 Tesla MRI to help most appropriately stage prostate cancer patients.

Pencil-beam scanning

Unlike some proton therapy centers, all prostate cancer patients at Texas Center for Proton Therapy receive the benefit of pencil-beam proton therapy. Pencil-beam scanning is ideal for patients with tumors in sensitive areas, such as prostate cancer, because it uses an ultra-fine proton beam with pencil-point precision to delicately apply the radiation to the targeted areas.

Proton therapy candidates

Treatment for prostate cancer varies by patient and may depend on how advanced the cancer is and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. In many cases, proton treatment is an ideal option for many prostate cancer patients. Proton therapy can also treat prostate cancer in more extensive targets, such as the pelvic lymph nodes, while minimizing exposure to the bladder and bowel. Texas Center for Proton Therapy also uses protons to treat patients that may need radiation after radical prostatectomy. Patients who receive proton therapy for prostate cancer may also experience fewer side effects than those receiving standard radiation therapy.

Proton Therapy

Conventional X-Ray Therapy

Red: High Radiation Dose
Green: Intermediate Radiation Dose
Blue: Low Radiation Dose

Sources: American Cancer Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute