Treating Prostate Cancer with Proton Therapy

Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer

When you’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancer, your first instinct may be to get the cancer out as quickly as possible. However, many treatments for prostate cancer can cause long-term side effects and proton therapy may be able to reduce those risks. When patients come for a consultation, our team discusses all treatments for prostate cancer, including surgery, other forms of radiation therapy, hormonal therapy and active surveillance.

Prostate cancer forms in the prostate, the muscular, walnut-sized gland that's located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The precision of proton therapy can target the tumor and reduce damage to the surrounding tissue, which in turn may reduce side effects such as urinary complications and impotence.

Northwestern Medicine Proton Center is one of the few proton therapy centers throughout the Midwest and the first one in Illinois. Our team is dedicated to explaining all of your treatment options for prostate cancer and facilitating a conversation with you and your physician or oncologist to determine the best treatment option for you.

To learn if you can benefit from proton therapy, call 1.877.887.5807 or fill out our online form.

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When treating cancer with radiation, it’s important to balance the treatment of the tumor and the preservation of healthy tissue. Proton therapy allows this delicate balance to be achieved through precise targeting that conforms to the shape of the tumor, making it an excellent treatment for prostate cancer.^1,3,4 With protons, a higher dose can be delivered to the tumor site, which can result in better tumor control, while largely sparing the bladder and rectum from radiation damage.^1,3,4

Proton therapy is considered safe, non-invasive and painless. Depending on the patient's diagnosis, treatments are usually given five days a week for up to nine weeks. The time spent actually delivering the protons to the tumor is about one minute, but a prostate cancer treatment session can range from 15 to 30 minutes due to time spent positioning the patient for this precise treatment.

Read what our patients have to say about their proton therapy treatment and how proton therapy and our staff impacted their lives.

• Third Time's the Charm: Paul's Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer – Paul's Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer
• Teaming up for Treatment – John's Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer