Proton therapy effective for prostate cancer treatment

Early outcomes of men treated with proton therapy for prostate cancer suggest that it is a safe and effective treatment, according to two studies published in the January 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.

In an outcomes study of more than 400 patients, radiation oncologists from the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville reported that 211 low-, intermediate-, and high-risk patients were enrolled in three prospective trials and followed for a median of two years. The patients tolerated proton therapy treatments well, experiencing very few toxicities (Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, Vol. 82:1, pp. 213-221 and pp. e25-e31).

The men ranged in age from 41 to 88 years at the time they began treatment. They received a total radiation dose of 78 Gy to 82 Gy, depending upon the clinical trial. Thirty-eight percent of the total received pretreatment genitourinary symptom management, and 42% required post-treatment interventions.

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