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Proton, Photon, or Cryotherapy?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Jul 14, 2025 | Replies (28)Comment receiving replies
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?
Replies to "Hi jc, I follow your comments studiously. Just started a discussion on why Proton Therapy is..."
Proton regularly comes up. However, what drives the discussion:
> Availability. There are only 46 active Proton centers in the U.S. (https://www.proton-therapy.org/map/)
> Price. Proton radiation treatments cost 3x the price of photon radiation. So, cost vs benefit is why many hospitals/centers don’t offer it and many doctors don’t recommend it.
I had 28 sessions of proton radiation at the University of Cincinnati during April-May 2021. Results have been good and uneventful.
In this 2023 mid-year Prostate Cancer Patient Conference, Dr. Rossi has a lot of information about proton in his presentation: https://www.youtube.com/live/WTqPnSRYtW4
—> Starting at 3:38:45
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@robertov
I think why proton radiation treatments is not mentioned as much as RP and photon as it is fairly new compared to photon radiation and not as many medical centers offer it as very expensive.
I think back in 2006 a Loma Lima (not sure of spelling) and UFHPTI were the only major centers doing proton radiation treatments. The numbers of centers now doing them has really expanded. But again, it is expensive and the gantries and treatment rooms are much more expensive and technical than photon.
Most of the discussions here you will see are those who have had RP and, or not, hormone treatments. The second will be SBRT type photon radiation and or not with hormones. Proton centers are just expensive. Both Rochester and Phoenix Mayo have proton radiation and offer patients that type of treatments. Mayo Jacksonville does not have proton just photon radiation. They are building a new cancer center that will open in 2026.
What does Mayo Jacksonville think of proton radiation. Many of the patients referred to UFHPTI are being referred there from Mayo. I was overwhelmed when I went through treatments as UFHPTI seeing all the children that were there. Proton radiation offers the most precise treatments and does not exit body beyond treatment area that photon does. Eye cancers, brain, and of course trying to reduce the amount of radiation damage in children.
There are so many more centers offering photon than proton. I was told UFHPTI when built in 2006 cost 125 million. They just went throught a complete upgrade of their gantries and equipment for 25 million. It is a huge facility. The five gantries they have take up a lot of room.
I get Mayo Clinic newsletters. What I read recently was research and trials coming up on a new protein therapy that attacks the prostate cancer cells only and leaves normal cells alone. I don't think it has reached trials yet but if it works would drastically changed treatments.
I really thank Mayo Jacksonville for providing me with the best PCP doctor I have ever encountered who would not ignore my rising PSA levels even though still normal number. It was he that asked me to consider going to UFHPTI for proton radiation treatments because he did a lot of medical research there. It is not that photon radiation does not work. The two types basically (per my PCP not me) have same success rate. The difference is that proton goes in body a lower intensity than photon and stops a treament mark. Those in theory the additional damage to surronding organs and tissues is reduced. It also is a very precise beam. I know at UFHPTI they have a physic department that fine tunes every treatment.