WHAT CAN PROTON THERAPY TREAT? Part 3: Prostate Cancer
According to Cancer Australia, around 29,000 Australian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian men.
For some men with prostate cancer, proton therapy may offer an important advantage because of how precisely it delivers radiation.
Unlike conventional photon radiotherapy, proton therapy delivers radiation to the tumour before stopping at a predetermined depth. This can reduce unnecessary radiation beyond the prostate, lowering the dose received by surrounding healthy tissues such as the bladder, bowel and rectum.
While proton therapy aims to achieve the same cancer control as conventional radiotherapy, reducing unnecessary radiation to healthy tissue may help minimise treatment-related side effects. Ongoing clinical trials continue to evaluate the long-term benefits for patients.
Today's educational video comes from Mass General Brigham and provides an excellent overview of proton therapy for prostate cancer. It explains how proton therapy can reduce unnecessary radiation to healthy tissues compared with conventional radiotherapy. This video is shared for educational purposes only. Proton Cancer Access Australia has no affiliation with the content creator or institution.
Importantly, Cancer Australia's national Strategy for Proton Beam Therapy for Cancer Patients in Australia concluded that Australia requires at least two proton therapy centres, with the second centre recommended to commence by the end of 2028. That recommendation has not changed.
Australians deserve access to the same evidence-based treatment options that are already available to patients in many other countries around the world.
Proton therapy is not only a conversation about rare cancers or paediatric cancer. It is a conversation about modern cancer care.
For some people, that person may be a child. For others, it may be a partner, parent, brother, sister, friend, or one day, themselves. Please do not wait until someone you love needs this treatment before taking an interest.
The louder Australians are, the harder it becomes for policy makers to ignore.
Families have already waited years for answers. We need solutions now.
References:
- Cancer Australia. Prostate cancer statistics in Australia.
- Mass General Brigham. Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm9Dzcm-YE8
- Cancer Australia. Strategy for Proton Beam Therapy for Cancer Patients in Australia (August, 2023).