Has anyone had proton therapy?

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Skeptic
Skeptic Member Posts: 20
edited February 2016 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

From the reading I have done so far, it seems to be much more precise in targeting a specific area without projecting beyond the target, and bypasses healthy tissue and organs.  It seems it is sometimes used for breast cancer, but so far I haven't found for what specific types or stages it is appropriate.  Has any one here had proton therapy?  What the treatment difficult?  Did you have any side effects?

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  • ayr1016
    ayr1016 Member Posts: 228
    edited January 2016

    I asked this very question last week I think :) Like you, I have not found a lot of information in regards to using in on breast cancer. However, I did speak with a proton center facility yesterday who is sending me more information via FedEx. I will report back anything additional I learn. I have my 1st appointment with my MO this week, so I'm taking the information with me for her opinion as well.

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  • MaryDav
    MaryDav Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2016

    I was looking into proton therapy a couple of months ago. I called the center up in Seattle and Scripps in San Diego. I gave them permission to request my records. They had them within a couple of days and Seattle called me back and said that I was not a candidate because of the kind of cancer I had and the location of the cancer. Scripps never called me back. But from what I have read, they are doing proton therapy on certain kinds of breast cancer and it's easy enough to see if you're a candidate.

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  • roserosie
    roserosie Member Posts: 11
    edited February 2016

    I am currently getting proton radiation. I have triple neg left sided breast cancer. I had chemo first then surgery and I had nine lymph nodes removed. 8 out of 9 were positive.

    I had a double mastectomy and now I am doing 25 rounds of proton radiation.

    I was told that proton is less harmful to the organs for someone with left sided breast cancer.

    I am almost finished getting my radiation at Procure in Somerset NJ, I have to say the staff is fantastic and the Doctors

    are amazing. The oncologist at Procure, Dr. Chon, was the first Dr. through out my journey with Breast Cancer that said to me there is

    Hope and we can cure you. I have found that you must be an advocate for yourself, I received my treatment at Sloan and even though

    Sloan was participating in a trial for this proton radiation for women like me with left sided breast cancer and they didn't mention it to me.

    If I hadn't done my own research, I could possibly be harming my organs, and I'm a young active 44 year old women who doesn't want heart disease later in life.

    I was also told by my surgeon that proton radiation was not something that I was a candidate for which was false, I have found unfortunately that so many dr's are not educated on what is available and give false information. Please do your home work, don't just listen to what dr's tell you without going for other opinions and really researching what is available for you.


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