@steveduke #packman7
The symptoms are the same as both are damaging other tissuses, organs, etc.

It is the degree and long term effects that is posible different. Until we get long term studies medical professionals will not have definite answers to benefit and lessor degree of damage, or secondary cancers with proton versus photon.

But you can read the scientific information on proton. It is highly controllable to stop and not continue through other tissues and organs like photon does. It is why it is used on eye, brain, and other vital organs within range of beam.

Most R/Os radiation using proton (like me) radiate past the prostate to make sure did not miss something. Thus radiation damage going happen to colon, bladder just like photon causes so symptoms side affects are the same.

I think urologist and R/O are saying the same damage is done to skin, organs, tissues, by proton as to photon when radiated. And the successful outcomes of each treating the prostate cancer is the same. But the ability to stop the proton beam progession through body past the area you want to radiate is or should I say not in dispute by any of my medical providers.

This comes from my Mayo PCP, Mayo R/O, and UFHPTI R/O doing thier own research and monitoring of patients. At UFHPTI my R/O has been doing radiation treatments on prostate for 20 years and has done thousands of them. I did do research at Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, UFHPTI, John Hopkins, WEBMD about differences between the two.