Proton beam vs radiation

I was not offered it...but if it does less damage and is a kinder treatment that must be a massive plus...good luck....the link below may be helpful.

Proton beam therapy | Macmillan Cancer Support

Hi,

Ive Just finished 30 rounds of proton beam therapy.  It was a recommended treatment because I had recently (6months) finished radiotherapy.  It is more targeted than radiotherapy ,and in my case reduced the risk of any overlap/damage from first treatment. As to side effects ; i think you'd have to ask ,because it depends on where its directed.

My experience was more favourable than first time because area of treatment was smaller.  I had concurrent chemo during same period . 

Hope that's a small insight 

Greg

Shawn1 said:

Has anyone used the proton therapy beam instead of the radiation therapy?

Proton is radiation therapy just more finely targeted so acute  effects should be less intense. There is no exit beam at the back of your neck so that’s better for the vertebral arteries supplying your brain. You will still lose some salivary function though as the beam has to enter through your neck. 

Thanks....It's handy to know that PBT is another treatment option for some H&N cancers... after CRT

So you chose the proton therapy instead of radiation?  I just concerned that they hit that beam at the exact spot every day .... I'm lucky there is a proton therapy within a hour from me... I still wil receive the weekly cisplastin for 6 weeks .... mayo has handled a lot more patients then the facility that I am closer to with the proton therapy.... would mayo be better at hitting the exact spot with the beam because of this ?

Thanks for your response

so did you have less side effect issues

There's a proton therapy within an hour for me. I would have to drive down there every day for seven weeks along with chemo once a week

I was wondering Mayo has had handled thousands of thousands of more proton therapy  patients than the one that's close to me. Would that make a difference? I just wanna make sure that the place that I would go to has the experience to hit the beams in the exact spot... the other issue is that I can start in less than two weeks at this facility close to me if I go to Mayo it would definitely delay the process and I'm not for sure when they would be able to start and if it really doesn't make the outcome any difference why would I go there but I was wondering if they would be better at directing that beam because they have handled a lot more patience

No I didn’t have proton. There are only two centres that deliver it here in the uk and it’s largely reserved for paediatric and neural cancers. There were quite a few folk here some years ago enrolled in a PBT trial but I do t know what became of it. 

Shawn1 said:

would mayo be better at hitting the exact spot with the beam because of this ?

No. Proton is delivered with a thin beam that is “painted” dot by dot and layer by layer They can do this because the beam is guided by magnets. You are immobilised on the treatment table with a mask ( though I know there are some centres that scan tumours without immobilisation during treatment. Have you had a mask made? 
Once the planning is done the beans is computer guided. 
Proton sessions take longer than IMRT. 

Shawn1 said:

wondering if they would be better at directing that beam because they have handled a lot more patience

Planning is largely done by AI these days and the tools are “attached” to the machine ( ie the manufacturer bundles the AI. )

Proton or IMRT the acute side effects are pretty nasty by the end of week four ( I had one week less than us planned for you and I couldn’t have driven myself anywhere ) 

Tang said:

Ive Just finished 30 rounds of proton beam therapy.  It was a recommended treatment because I had recently (6months) finished radiotherapy. 

Hi Tang. Did you have proton for a recurrence or was the RT somewhere else the first time? 

I had the PBT on the opposite side of my face to the first radiotherapy, (new suspect lymph node in neck)  consultant wanted PBT to minimise any overlap of the two treatments