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Deciding on Radiation : Photon or Proton?
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Dec 20 5:48pm | Replies (30)Comment receiving replies
@dick61 I will have an appointment with a Proton Radiologist soon, to see if they could reach an "unresectable" tumor within my chest wall. It's a recurrence they say from my tumors 32 years ago in the right breast that I had a mastectomy & chemo 6 mo. for. Pretty surprising it could be growing all this time right below the old site, & not metastasizing. It has shrunk from its former size by 2/3 using 2 different AI's, but they gave me labile hypertension so had to go off them. Then tried Fulvestrant shots, but too many side effects too. So now I'm wondering if they could reach the rest of the tumor via Proton. Can it avoid bones like ribs, like go in between ribs? It's right next to the sternum. I guess I'll get answers from them, but wondered what you know? I'm 76 in Seattle with Fred Hutch Cancer Ctr/UW. Glad to hear of your great outcome!
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J., The magic of proton radiation is the following: Protons flow from the gantry to the target. They pass harmlessly through bone, muscle and tissue until reaching the target (your tumor), and then release all of their energy! The protons do NOT flow beyond the target. They pass through ribs, etc., without doing harm. I had 20 treatments of proton radiation in 2018 for the treatment of prostate cancer (I have a bad gene!), and the protons passed through my hips, pelvis, etc., with no damage. The protons released all of their energy at my prostate and nowhere else.
Send me an email if you have other questions about my treatment or what you hopefully will have.
Dick
From: Richard Hark < dickhark@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2025 11:55 AM
To: Clinic Connect Mayo < nf+303f7d13+90507159@n1.hubapplication.com>
Subject: Re: @jardinera25 mentioned you in comment on Mayo Clinic Connect
I will bet that they can aim the flow of protons to the tumor and avoid damage just like my experience. Cancer is an evil and insidious disease. I wish you good luck and success! Proton radiation is the very best form! 🤞Dick