Comparison With Other Treatment Options
The issue of when, whether, and how best to apply this technology is controversial. As of 2012 there have been no controlled trials to demonstrate that proton therapy yields improved survival, or other clinical outcomes (including impotence in prostate cancer) compared to other types of radiation therapy, although a 5-year study of prostate cancer is underway at Massachusetts General Hospital. Proton therapy is far more expensive than conventional therapy. Using current technology, proton therapy requires a very large capital investment (from $100M to more than $180M).
Preliminary results from a three-year 2009 study, including high dose treatments, show very few side effects.
Read more about this topic: Proton Therapy
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