Is Proton Beam Therapy More Effective than Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer Treatment?

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer found in American males. Breaking technological advances in prostate cancer treatment continue to develop to help fight this disease, one such is proton beam therapy. Proton beam therapy is theorized to spare even more healthy tissue than photon radiotherapy because it delivers a majority of its radiation during the Bragg peak. Since this technology is substantially costlier than any other form of radiation therapy, physicians are assessing its effectiveness and determining if it is worth the cost. Currently, there is no significant difference seen in patient quality of life between recipients of proton or photon therapy. This can possibly because of secondary neutrons that are generated when protons exit the nozzle. Pencil beam scanning, a recent advancement in proton therapy delivery, is theorized to make protons have much better treatment outcomes than photons and would eliminate the issue of secondary neutrons. More studies need to be conducted to determine if pencil beam scanning ensure better quality of life over photon therap