Guest guest Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 Once again this group seems to be drifting towards 'all protons, all the time'. Just to add a bit of balance, especially for those just deciding on a course of treatment, there are other radiation therapies that are successful at treating prostate cancer, and generally have few side effects. Some recent posts seem to dismiss IMRT and other forms of external photon radiation as having a high risk of side effects, but I'm not really sure what the justification for this is. All radiation treatments are likely to cause some side effects. Mostly, these will be temporary and mild. Other forms of radiation treatment, like brachytherapy, also typically have mild side effects. There are plenty of web sites where you can get an idea of the type and duration of the side effects you can expect for a particular treatment - for instance, to get a handle on what to expect with brachytherapy, check out the Seattle Prostate Institute site. My own experience with brachytherapy has been great so far, after 3 months - very minor urinary side effects, essentially no change in my quality of life. My point is not to recommend one treatment over another, but just to remind people 1) there are options out there - investigate them all before making a decision, and 2) keep your options open - if your insurance doesn't cover your preferred treatment, there is almost certainly another treatment available to you that will also hopefully kill your cancer and let you maintain your quality of life. -- Bobinnv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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