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What a choice!

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User
Posted 26 Nov 2019 at 19:33
Hhhhmm, but it has had poor results in trials as a primary treatment for PCa. Looks much more impressive as a salvage treatment for PCa or as a primary for head, neck and some childhood cancers.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 26 Nov 2019 at 21:25

Yes I saw those trial results. US and Czech data is more detailed. I know two guys that have been treated at the new facility  in Wales. Both fantastic outcomes but not cheap and rarely covered by insurance. The precision of the pencil beam is impressive and spaceoar protects the bowel if needed. In my view the negative is you still have a prostate with the underlying genetic issues so at best it buys some time I guess otherwise I would have potentially gone down this route.

User
Posted 26 Nov 2019 at 22:32
it is a bit early to conclude that your two friends have had fantastic outcomes in terms of getting rid of the cancer but perhaps you just mean fantastic in that they aren't dealing with horrible side effects? The US data for proton was disappointing. I thought that Claret might be onto something with the FLA but her husband is now seeing a rising PSA. The couple of guys that have had HIFU as a primary have had a biochemical recurrence.

On the upside, my particular enthusiasm and energy goes into raising money in aid of brain tumour research and proton beam is looking really exciting for that.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 26 Nov 2019 at 22:41

Oh totally...I should have highlighted I meant pretty much no urinary/potency outages at all. In terms of cancer outcomes, as you said, too early to say thus far. One of the reasons I gave it a miss with five areas. One of the guys had 9 but obviously those are what are termed clinically significant. Long term data just isn’t there yet.

Proton beam is excellent for brain. Friend of mine was given 12 months back in 2008  with deep tumours near the brain stem which were inoperable. She managed to raise the money to have proton beam treatment in Boston and is still about today raising a family

Edited by member 26 Nov 2019 at 22:45  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 26 Nov 2019 at 23:38
My second opinion was with one of the consultants who secured funding for juveniles in the UK with Brain Tumours to have Proton Beam treatment in the USA. That was back in 2008. Even though we have Proton Beam in the UK now and for some patients on the NHS at The Christie in Manchester, I think it unlikely that it will be made available generally for Prostate Cancer within the NHS, being instead used more for head cancers and some other cancers where it has given better results.
Barry
User
Posted 26 Nov 2019 at 23:47
That's fab - now it is available on the NHS, of course, if the PCRP agrees it.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

 
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