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Gleason7(3+4) - treatment options recommendation
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Oct 7 1:02pm | Replies (237)Comment receiving replies
That makes a lot of sense. Like you, I was happy to risk some mild irritation in the areas surrounding my prostate, like the bladder and rectum in return for having a better chance of capturing any stray cancer cells.
One thing I'm curious about: after SBRT (photon beam), I was told I can never go shirtless outside again during the day because my skin (at both radiation sites) will be ultra-sensitive to U/V.
Does the same apply to proton-beam radiation, or is the skin unaffected because the radiation beam delivers its highest load internally rather than at the surface?
Replies to "That makes a lot of sense. Like you, I was happy to risk some mild irritation..."
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@northoftheborder (how is Canada these days)
Never heard of the photo (SBRT) causing the inability to ever take shirt off. But I am not as familiar with photon as I am with proton. Did the photon radiation subject your entire chest area to significant radiation?
It would make sense if it had because photon radiation burn on skin is like a bad repeated sun burn so could make it sensitive to sun burns. But why so much in chest area and not just around entry sites.
I had pencil beam proton. It is a very precise beam and depth of release radiation. My areas of skin tanning were on the top of each side of hips but only a couple of inches. I have a ICD/Pacemaker and UFHPTI physics department recommend the pencil beam proton for me to keep radiation away from my ICD/pacemaker.
You are right on proton. R/O expalined the intensity of proton radiation going in is very much lower than the intensity of the radiation at the programmed release depth.
My R/Os explained (like yours did) why they don't just radiate biopsied areas, or MRI areas, as take a chance of a cancer cells being missed in prostrate or in the margins ouside the prostrate.
I worry sometimes when I read radiation treatments directly targeting the MRI confirmed cancer areas only or biopsied confirmed cancer areas only. You would think this would increase the chances of missing cancer cells.