@rcs My prostate cancer was also contained within the prostate.. After my local urologist did a test that could only be read at a few larger facilities, I went to Mayo MN to their Radiation Oncologist (RO) .. That was about a year and a half ago.. They gave me a hormone shot.. Lupron (30 mg) .. that is to shrink the prostate. The Radiation could start 2 months after that shot. I chose to take the Radiation (Proton) in my Central Iowa hospital /clinic.. The Radiation Oncologist there had trained with the Mayo MN Doctor and the equipment was similar.. The RO Doctor in Iowa then injected a spacer material to move the bowel away from the prostate.. That spacer dissolves after the 20 radiation treatments are done in 4 weeks.. every week day for a month... They put you on a table in front of the machine and it revolves around you.. they made small tattoo marks on my body so they could put me in the same position each treatment.. The process is painless.. (sure the placing of the spacer and tattoo were uncomfortable but they did the trick.. the staff gave me a graduation diploma .. They want your bowels to be full during the radiation.. so bowel movement timing is everything.. I had to take Gas-X every night to eliminate as much intestinal gas as possible.. After treatment the RO calls you in each 3 months for a year to do a PSA test... mine were around 0.5 ... so he and I were pleased... Now I just go every 6 months for a check-up... The Radiation makes you fatigued... and I had some very loose stools for a while.. but all in all .. a great result.. There are side effects from that hormone shot.. Read up on those..