What are the damaging side effects of proton therapy?
What are the damaging side effects of proton therapy?
In general, common side effects of proton therapy include:
- Fatigue.
- Mouth, eating and digestion problems.
- Headaches.
- Hair loss around the part of your body being treated.
- Skin redness around the part of your body being treated.
- Soreness around the part of your body being treated.
Do you lose your hair with proton therapy?
Alopecia or hair loss: A result of the rays, this is temporary and appears only where the rays pass; hair grows back within three to six months. When combined with chemotherapy, hair loss may be total. Erythema or skin redness: It is temporary and disappears within 2 to 3 weeks after irradiation.
How much does proton beam therapy cost?
Proton therapy costs range from about $30,000 to $120,000. In contrast, a course of treatment with radiosurgery costs about $8,000-$12,000, Heron said. IMRT (intensity-modulated radiation therapy) costs about $15,000.
How long does it take to recover from proton therapy?
What happens during a treatment session? Once the tumor’s location is accurately determined, proton therapy sessions may take anywhere from four to eight weeks.
How many times can you have proton therapy?
Proton therapy often can be used in conjunction with chemotherapy or other drug treatments and surgery. How many visits or treatments does it take to complete a course of proton therapy? The number of treatments is dependent on the specific diagnosis but they can range anywhere from 5 treatments to 39.
How serious is a Gleason score of 8?
Cancers with Gleason scores of 8 to 10 may be called poorly differentiated or high-grade. These cancers are likely to grow and spread more quickly, although a cancer with a Gleason score of 9-10 is twice as likely to grow and spread quickly as a cancer with a Gleason score of 8.
What hospitals have proton therapy?
Active centers of proton therapy
| COUNTRY | Name | START OF TREATMENT |
|---|---|---|
| USA, CA. | Scripps Proton Therapy Center, San Diego | 2014 |
| USA, LA. | Willis Knighton Proton Therapy Cancer Center, Shreveport | 2014 |
| USA, FL. | Ackerman Cancer Center, Jacksonville | 2015 |
| USA, MN. | Mayo Clinic Proton Beam Therapy Center, Rochester | 2015 |
