Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Benefits and Side Effects

Deep-rooted tumors, including prostate cancer, can be challenging to treat with conventional radiation. Treatment with proton beams might have certain benefits. Traditional radiation therapy uses X-rays, which can kill healthy cells. Some research suggests that proton therapy may more accurately target cancer, reducing damage to healthy cells.

By damaging the DNA of cancer cells, proton beam therapy is a non-intrusive external radiation therapy for prostate cancer that targets and eliminates the disease. With proton therapy, prostate cancers can be accurately targeted while minimizing radiation exposure to other tissues and organs.

Proton particles programmed to enter a tumor and stop at a predetermined distance are used in proton therapy. This enables oncologists to efficiently eliminate prostate cancer by applying the appropriate dosage of radiation to various tumor components.

What is Proton Therapy?

Proton therapy is the latest radiation therapy that uses a proton, a subatomic positively charged particle (protons). Radiation therapy, which employs powerful energy to treat cancer and certain non-cancerous tumors, includes proton therapy. Radiation therapy using X-rays has long been used to treat these conditions but it caused damage to healthy cells too unlike proton therapy which is specific.

According to a 2020 study that examined the treatment for a range of metastasized tumors, prostate cancer survival rates are already very high, at 99% over five years. It was reported there are significantly fewer side effects with proton therapy, a more recent type of radiation.

One novel treatment that is still being used is proton therapy. Its application for prostate cancer is still being studied. Numerous variables influence the phases and frequency of treatment, such as:

Cancer’s stage
The patient’s overall condition
The treatment objectives

Because of this, there isn’t a set treatment plan or sequence of steps for treatment. However, a patient will frequently have proton therapy alongside a prostatectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the prostate as part of a treatment plan.

Proton treatment is used to treat the following types of prostate cancer:

Prostate cancer in its early stages
Prostate cancer in its middle stages
Late stage, or locally developed prostate cancer
Prostate cancer that has metastasized to nearby tissues or organs
Prostate cancer that has progressed to the lymph nodes (prostate cancer that is positive for lymph nodes)
Prostate cancer that reappears after surgical excision and is identified by the PSA test, which indicates a biochemical recurrence

How Proton Therapy Works in Treating Prostate Cancer

Cancer of the prostate is known as prostate cancer. A small walnut-shaped gland that is a component of the male reproductive system is the prostate. Its main function is to generate the seminal fluid that carries and transports sperm.

One of the most prevalent forms of cancer is prostate cancer. A large number of prostate tumors are slow-growing and localized to the prostate gland, where they might not do much damage. On the other hand, aggressive forms of prostate cancer can spread swiftly, whilst slow-growing varieties may require little or no treatment at all.

One kind of therapeutic radiation using an external beam is proton therapy. A massive device known as a cyclotron produces a beam of charged proton particles that is directed toward the prostate tumor. The tumor cells are destroyed by the laser as it deposits its energy.

The radiation from protons ruins the tumor’s DNA, preventing it from growing new cells or mending itself. This indicates that a tumor is decreasing instead of growing. The tumor’s location, size, and other characteristics affect how proton radiation affects it.

Proton therapy for prostate cancer is an emerging treatment option that researchers are still evaluating. The approach to treatment can vary significantly from patient to patient, as several factors come into play when determining the best course of action.

Benefits of Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer

The capacity to target tumor cells more accurately is the main advantage of proton treatment. Studies reveal that while the radiation dose to the tumor is increased with proton therapy, the radiation dose to nearby healthy cells is notably reduced. When less healthy tissue is affected by the radiation, radiation side effects may be less severe and the risk of developing more tumors from radiation exposure is decreased.

Proton therapy has additional advantages because of this precision targeting:

Preserving critical neural functions such as speech or memory, when a tumor is near the regions responsible for these processes.
Painless, five to ten-minute treatments are usual. Depending on the details of their situation, patients may go through 28 to 44 sessions. Remarkably, the majority of people do not have any negative consequences.
Males who are concerned about their hormone levels and sexual function may find it significant that proton therapy does not lower testosterone levels.
Additionally, proton therapy lowers the amount of radiation that reaches surrounding organs, which may lessen the chance of harm and subsequent tumors.
Shorter recovery time compared to other treatment methods.

Who is a good candidate for proton therapy?

Proton therapy is a viable treatment option for people with prostate cancer, irrespective of their specific location on the severity spectrum. This covers circumstances in which the prostate has developed cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes. Even in patients who have previously undergone a prostatectomy the partial or total removal of the prostate proton treatment for prostate cancer can still be beneficial.

Proton therapy can be used to treat various other diseases such as:

Esophageal Cancer
Head and neck cancers
Liver cancer
Lung cancer
Lymphoma
Brain Tumors
Breast Cancer

The Procedure: What to Expect

The radiation oncology team must first plan the exact radiation dosage, duration of therapy, and proton beam positioning. During your simulation appointment at the proton facility, you will recline on a treatment table while the care staff performs the following tasks.

Captures pictures of your prostate
Maps the position of the tumor and its surroundings using computer software.
puts you in a therapeutic position
Your body marks where the beam will enter
adjust your body to utilize devices by avoiding physical immobility during therapy

After the simulation, the calculations and quality control testing will be finished in around two weeks. You will lie on the treatment table in the same position as during the simulation on the day of your first treatment. After taking pictures of your prostate to make sure you are positioned correctly, the care staff will exit the room to run the proton treatment machine.

Depending on the stage of prostate cancer, proton therapy treatments often occur every weekday for four, 5.5, or seven to eight weeks. The duration of each session at the treatment center is approximately 20 minutes, and the visit takes about one hour in total.

Side Effects

Being a precision-based treatment option maximum patients experience fewer side effects than traditional radiation. Following are the side effects include:

Urinary bladder irritation
Tiredness
Frequent or severe urges to urinate or bowel movement
Skin irritation at the place of entry for the radiation beam

Other side effects that can occur after proton therapy for prostate cancer may not show up right away. Some of the side effects might occur in the later stages.

Erectile dysfunction
Bleeding in the rectal area
Urethral scarring, which happens in the little tube that connects the urinary tract to the penis

When side effects develop, they might not be as bad but they might last for a few weeks or months following therapy.

Recovery

Most people can return home and continue their daily activities following proton beam treatment. The doctor will most likely schedule follow-up tests to assess how well the treatment is working on the tumor and make adjustments as needed.

Success Rates and Outcomes

Following prostate cancer treatment, a person’s response to treatment is evaluated by routinely measuring their PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels. PSA test is a blood test that is done for the first five years following therapy, every six months.

Men with prostate cancer have a 97% five-year survival rate.

A study involving over 1,300 males confirmed that five-year survival rates showed high survival rates. Prostate cancer survival rates between patients treated with standard X-ray radiation therapy (IMRT) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and those who got proton therapy at UF Health Proton Therapy Institute are displayed in the table below. Men with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer have lower percentages of cancer-free men seven years after IMRT treatment, despite similar survival rates for men with low-risk prostate cancer.

Category of Risk for Patient at Diagnosis	Percent (%) of Patients Cancer-Free at Five Years After Proton Therapy (IMPT) 1	Percent (%) of Patients Cancer Free at Seven Years After Traditional X-Ray Radiation Therapy (IMRT) 2
Low-Risk Prostate Cancer	99%	98%
Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer	94%	86%
High-Risk Prostate Cancer	74%	68%

Cost Coverage

It depends, as is frequently the case in the medical field. The doctor’s recommendations will determine how many treatments are needed to overcome this condition completely.

A few additional fees include the cost of the doctor, imaging before treatment or regular imaging while receiving therapy, creating a personalized treatment plan, etc.

Proton therapy cost

Country	Cost
India	$35,000-$60,000
Turkey	$50,000-$65,000
United States	$60,000-$120,000

In terms of cost, India provides the most affordable proton treatment for prostate cancer, which is delivered by a highly skilled team of healthcare providers.

Conclusion

As research continues and medical professionals gain more insight into the effectiveness of proton therapy for prostate cancer, treatment protocols may become more standardized. For now, patients should expect a tailored approach that takes into account their circumstances and medical needs.

Proton therapy for prostate cancer is cutting-edge, but still under study. Treatment varies based on cancer stage, patient health, and goals. There’s no one-size-fits-all plan. Doctors often use a combination of proton therapy and prostate removal surgery to effectively treat prostate cancer, as this approach can target the cancer precisely while also treating it surgically As research progresses, we’ll learn more about this promising treatment’s full potential.

Recommended Reads: Explore Proton Therapy Cost by Country

FAQs

Q. What is proton therapy, and how does it treat prostate cancer?

A: Proton therapy, or proton beam therapy, is a radiation therapy that uses high-energy protons (positively charged atoms) to destroy the DNA in cancer cells.

Proton therapy employs proton particles that can be programmed to travel a predetermined distance into the tumor and then cease. This allows radiation oncologists to give the proper amount of radiation to different regions of the tumor, thereby killing prostate cancer.

Q. What are the benefits of proton therapy for prostate cancer compared to traditional radiation?

A: Proton therapy targets cancer cells while limiting damage to healthy cells by delivering a high dose of radiation directly to the tumor site. Unlike the X-rays frequently utilized in traditional radiation, protons enter the body at a low energy level and lose most of their energy upon interaction with the tumor, thus there is a higher chance of side effects even in the healthy tissue. Hence, proton therapy offers fewer side effects.

Q. Who is eligible for proton therapy for prostate cancer?

A: Men who have prostate cancer and their GLEASON SCORES are 6 or above are eligible for proton therapy. The Gleason score is a numerical value that represents the severity of prostate cancer based on how abnormal the cancer cells appear under a microscope. It helps to establish a patient’s prognosis and treatment alternatives.

Q. What happens during a proton therapy session?

A: Proton therapy sessions can last four to eight weeks after the precise location of the tumor has been established. The proton beam delivery process takes an average of one to three minutes, despite the visit lasting typically fifteen to forty-five minutes. Most of the time is spent setting up the treatment room’s equipment and correctly placing the patient.

Q. What are the common side effects of proton therapy for prostate cancer?

A: The side effects of proton therapy are comparable to those of conventional radiation therapy. Following treatment, side effects may appear gradually and include:

Red, itchy, painful skin where the proton beam entered the body. It may feel and appear sunburned.
Loss of hair in the treated area
Fatigue or lack of energy

Q. How does proton therapy minimize side effects compared to other treatments?

A: The side effects of proton therapy are frequently less severe than those of conventional radiation. This is because radiation dosages can be delivered to the treatment location with proton therapy, which also does less harm to the surrounding healthy tissue. Since it utilizes a precise targeting procedure, proton treatment is additionally more beneficial.

Q. Is proton therapy for prostate cancer covered by insurance?

A: Most major insurance companies cover proton therapy, and because of the treatment’s advantages, major carriers are continuing to cover more of it. The kind, stage, and benefits of your particular insurance are just a few of the variables that affect insurance coverage. Our Financial Team will assist you in understanding the coverage provided by your insurance.

Q. How long does it take to recover from proton therapy for prostate cancer?

A: Most patients can resume their normal activities following their daily treatment. One might not feel fully recovered for a few weeks after therapy ends, depending on the circumstances.

Q. Can proton therapy be used in combination with other prostate cancer treatments?

A: Yes, proton therapy can be used in combination with other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. Because of this, it is frequently possible to create therapy combinations that are more effective while limiting side effects.