Life can be so complicated.
When you receive a cancer diagnosis, many things can be a challenge. From the decision about which doctor to visit to what kind of therapy, there are many decisions that need to be made when you are finding a way to deal with a difficult illness. From prostate cancer specialists to breast cancer doctors, it is important to make sure that you feel comfortable asking your health care professional all of the questions that you have. Taking a loved one or a friend with you when you go to many of these doctor’s appointments can help you process the difficult information that you will be given.
Fortunately, prostate cancer specialists have a number of advanced treatments that help patients get back to living a normal life as soon as possible. In fact, the treatment options for prostate cancer can offer a pretty good prognosis for many patients.
Cancer Proton Therapy Options Are a Great Decision for Many Patients
Proton therapy is a type of radiation that stops at a very specific point in the tissue that is targeted. In comparison, conventional radiation continues beyond the tumor. In breast cancer, for instance, this difference means on average no radiation to the heart and on average 50% less radiation to the lung when it is compared to conventional radiation.
The decision to have proton cancer treatments is becoming increasingly popular for many types of cancer. Consider some of these facts and figures about the proton therapy cancer method:
- Proton therapy decreases the radiation dose to gastrointestinal structures by at least 59% when it is compared to X-rays.
- With a total of about 80 treatment rooms, there were more than 30 particle therapy centers under construction worldwide.
- Although the actual time spent delivering the protons to the tumor is generally only about a minute or two, treatment session generally takes 15 to 45 minutes./li>
- 94% of men report that they remain sexually active after treatment due to proton therapy’s targeted approach. In fact, studies have found that prostate cancer patients treated using this method have a significantly reduced risk of impotence.
- Research indicates that 99%, 94%, and 74% of men treated with proton therapy with low, intermediate, and high risk prostate cancer, respectively, have no signs of cancer recurrence after follow-up appointments for five years.
When you receive the most complicated diagnosis of cancer, it is important that you take the time to understand all of the available treatment options, including proton therapy treatment plans. Prostate cancer specialists and other doctors often make use of this treatment option.