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abrero1947 avatar

Proton, Photon, or Cryotherapy?

Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Jul 14, 2025 | Replies (28)

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@abrero1947
A lot of questions. You have already gone through the biopsy process. Do you have an experienced urologist? If so, and you trust his/her experience/knowledge, please confer with him about your questions and or asked for a referral consultation to R/O. If you don't feel comfortable with answers seek a second opinion.

I can comment on personal experiences with some of your questions but those questions on treatments that I did not have personal experience with can be best answered by those that did.

1. Proton versus photon: I had proton radiation, 30 rounds low dose 7 weeks. I did consultations with Mayo Jacksonville. Mayo PCP. And per my Mayop PCP got a second opinion at UFHPTI.
Per those medical experts: There is no significant difference in successful outcome between photon and proton radiation treatments. The difference is that photon radiation enters body full dose, treats your treatment areas and continues through the body. Proton radiation can enter body at lower dose, treat your treatment area, and does not continue through body. Thus the possibility of proton radiation not causing as much damage to surronding organs and tissues.
2. The 5 high dose is usually done over a two week period. My R/Os and PCP discussed the options with me and stated their research was showing increased side affects with high dose. However the treatments are over quicker and you are on the recovery time period quicker. Low dose is usually over a couple of months (I had 30 rounds of low dose proton).
The success rate for prostate cancer is very high if not diagnosed as high risk (per my R/Os) level and has not spread already outside the prostate. Have you been advised about additional tests that can help define your treatment options. Those tests are Decipher, PSMA, bone scans, etc. Again if these have not been discusses with you already ask. I had all those mentioned above. Both my R/Os stated would treat my entire prostate and margins to treat all cancer present. But yes areas could be missed and cancer show up again and additional treaments needed.
3. Did not have the radiation treatments in this question so cannot provide my personal experience with it.
4. This answer should come from your R/O (radiation oncologist)
5. Again no experience with this so cannot pass on my experience with it.
6. Is a good question and knowing the answer would be beneficial for all of us. If you go to an major medical facility (Mayo, Cleveland, Clinic, John Hopkins, UFHPTI, and many others) you are going to have experienced and knowledgeable specialists. If you are not comfortable with your R/O seek a second opinon at another medical institution.
I hope this helped. I am sure those on MCC that have personal experience with the questions you asked can help you with their personal experience.

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Replies to "@abrero1947 A lot of questions. You have already gone through the biopsy process. Do you have..."

Hi jc, I follow your comments studiously. Just started a discussion on why Proton Therapy is almost entirely ignored in these discussion. Further looking at PCRI and other YT videos, it probably is the most dated in what is being produced. Do you have any idea why this is? I’m starting next month on that process but am becoming concerned that it is not mentioned any more?