If your physician discovers you are suffering from prostate cancer, carefully consider the options you have. It is not true that you have to decide right away.
Your overall chances of a cure depend mainly on the stage at which the prostate carcinoma was diagnosed. You should not forget that your decision about the type of treatment will significantly affect the rest of your life.
Our physicians are prepared to answer all of your questions related to PROTON THERAPY and its alternatives, therefore, do not hesitate to contact us immediately.
The Proton Center also includes the Department of Radiodiagnostics and Nuclear Medicine, where we can gladly arrange an appointment for an MR or PET/CT scan.
Consider the options that you have. You do not have to decide immediately. The choice of treatment has a major impact on the quality of life both during and after therapy. In prostate cancer treatment, adverse effects may vary considerably for various types of treatment
We provide this information at the request of our patients who have been misinformed. Despite proton radiotherapy being fully available to Czech patients for over 12 years, there are still numerous discussions, and unfortunately, our patients continue to hear or read misinformation. Therefore, we would like to clarify the most common misconceptions we encounter.
We strive to continuously publish the results of proton therapy in journals that are fully available on the internet or in specialized scientific search engines. In principle, the results are very good, and in terms of treatment efficacy, we have great success not only with prostate cancer treatment but also with patients who have head and neck tumors or malignant lymphomas. There is a significant difference between radiation treatment and surgical treatment, especially in the case of prostate cancer. For this diagnosis, we see better treatment outcomes with protons, both in terms of side effects and post-treatment survival. Operated patients far more often experience treatment-related toxicity, which is associated with incontinence or impotence. The difference is also very noticeable when evaluating the five-year period to see whether the disease returns or not. We frequently treat patients who have a recurrence of the disease after surgery.
Yes, our results are indeed very good, comparable to world leaders in proton therapy. Thanks to our results, we are ranked among the top 5 facilities in the world. All our data is processed by an independent company with certification for health research, ensuring their authenticity and accuracy. Have you asked your treating doctors about the results they achieve with the method they offer for your diagnosis? We are very happy to show you ours.
Proton therapy is covered by health insurance by law and is therefore accessible to all citizens of the Czech Republic. We have long-term contracts with all Czech health insurance companies.
Pacemakers or ICDs are sensitive electronic devices that can be damaged by any kind of radiation. In proton radiotherapy, secondary high-energy particles are generated, which pose an increased risk of damaging electronics, potentially leading to pacemaker malfunction. CT examination is essential for radiotherapy planning. Metal materials (implants, dental fillings, etc.) create so-called artifacts in CT images (structures that do not exist in the body appear on the CT scan). These can affect the dose calculation in a given area, which could result in inaccuracies in the radiation dose. At the Proton Center, we strive to eliminate all risks, so we do not treat patients with implants in the irradiated area. Of course, metal in the pelvic area does not matter if we are irradiating tumors, for example, in the head and neck area.
Even during treatment, you can still be with your loved ones. You don't have to stay in the hospital; you can work, and we will adjust the radiation time according to your needs.
Tumors that quickly change position or shape over time are considered unsuitable for proton therapy. This applies to tumors of the eye, larynx, pharynx, vocal cords, skin tumors (e.g., melanoma), stomach, small and large intestines, bladder, testicles, and generalized diseases with multiple metastases.
Consider the options you have. You don’t have to decide immediately. The chosen treatment has a significant impact on the quality of life not only during but also after treatment. The side effects can vary greatly between different prostate cancer treatment methods.
contact usSo-called clinical trials are conducted to evaluate the overall effect of proton therapy. These are carried out according to a predefined scheme on a group of selected patients and help to determine whether the treatment method is safe and effective. As of May 24, 2024, the international clinical trial registry ClinicalTrials.gov lists 157 closed studies when searching for the keywords “cancer” and “proton radiotherapy”. The registry also lists 191 open studies that are recruiting patients as of the same date. These numbers are not small. Therefore, we can say that proton radiotherapy is not an experimental treatment and is sufficiently tested. Increasing numbers of ongoing studies, on the contrary, indicate that it is a promising method that will be able to treat an increasingly broad spectrum of cancer diagnoses in the future.
Chief Physicist at PTC: In the case of prostate cancer, proton irradiation is done via the pelvic sides, including the hip joints. This approach significantly reduces the dose burden on more sensitive critical organs in the lower pelvis, such as the rectum, intestines, or bladder. The dose burden on the hip joints is at an acceptable level, and patients do not report any complications with their hip joints after prostate irradiation. On the contrary, arc therapy significantly increases the volume of healthy tissues irradiated with medium and low doses, thereby increasing the risk of side effects from the radiation. Another associated effect is a decrease in the number of immune system cells associated with large-volume photon irradiation, which is not observed when irradiating the prostate alone.
Chief Physicist at PTC: If there is fluid, air, bones, or another material or a combination of these in the path of the beam, this is taken into account in the calculation, and it does not affect the accuracy of the irradiation. If the patient has, for example, a metal implant in the body, the proton beam is not directed through it. From this, it follows that the dose distribution always corresponds to the relevant anatomical situation, which is considered in the calculation.
Based on monitoring our patients and continuously evaluating their health status, we can declare that the risk of severe rectal bleeding after prostate irradiation is 0.4%. If this situation occurs in your case, we will solve it together with our collaborating specialists.
The conclusions of the latest published PTC studies indicate that incontinence occurred in less than 1% of patients. Compared to data published for photon radiotherapy and surgical procedures, this toxicity is significantly lower.
Due to the precision of the proton beam, the risk of impotence is significantly reduced compared to conventional treatment methods. In addition, protons allow for reduced unwanted irradiation in the area of the penile base, which is one of the causes of erectile dysfunction after radiotherapy.
Photon radiation passes through the body and delivers a significant amount of energy behind the tumor. As a result, not only the tumor but also healthy tissues and organs in front of and behind the tumor are irradiated. This can lead to many problems and complications for the patient during and after treatment. However, protons have a physical property where they deliver little energy on the way to the tumor, stop there, deliver the maximum energy, and then do not continue. By using protons, we can protect healthy tissues from unwanted irradiation, significantly reducing the risk of treatment side effects.
Biologically and technically speaking, it does not matter if protons are used to treat someone who is 10, 20, or 80 years old. The reason why younger patients are sometimes chosen is the likelihood of side effects that occur with any cancer treatment, and this risk is multiplied by the expected lifespan. However, with protons, this probability of side effects is reduced. The younger a person is, the more gently they need to be irradiated. However, this does not mean that we cannot irradiate older patients, as age discrimination is excluded.
We provide this information at the request of our patients who have been misinformed. Despite proton radiotherapy being fully available to Czech patients for over 12 years, there are still numerous discussions, and unfortunately, our patients continue to hear or read misinformation. Therefore, we would like to clarify the most common misconceptions we encounter.
So-called clinical trials are conducted to evaluate the overall effect of proton therapy. These are carried out according to a predefined scheme on a group of selected patients and help to determine whether the treatment method is safe and effective. As of May 24, 2024, the international clinical trial registry ClinicalTrials.gov lists 157 closed studies when searching for the keywords “cancer” and “proton radiotherapy”. The registry also lists 191 open studies that are recruiting patients as of the same date. These numbers are not small. Therefore, we can say that proton radiotherapy is not an experimental treatment and is sufficiently tested. Increasing numbers of ongoing studies, on the contrary, indicate that it is a promising method that will be able to treat an increasingly broad spectrum of cancer diagnoses in the future.
We strive to continuously publish the results of proton therapy in journals that are fully available on the internet or in specialized scientific search engines. In principle, the results are very good, and in terms of treatment efficacy, we have great success not only with prostate cancer treatment but also with patients who have head and neck tumors or malignant lymphomas. There is a significant difference between radiation treatment and surgical treatment, especially in the case of prostate cancer. For this diagnosis, we see better treatment outcomes with protons, both in terms of side effects and post-treatment survival. Operated patients far more often experience treatment-related toxicity, which is associated with incontinence or impotence. The difference is also very noticeable when evaluating the five-year period to see whether the disease returns or not. We frequently treat patients who have a recurrence of the disease after surgery.
Chief Physicist at PTC: In the case of prostate cancer, proton irradiation is done via the pelvic sides, including the hip joints. This approach significantly reduces the dose burden on more sensitive critical organs in the lower pelvis, such as the rectum, intestines, or bladder. The dose burden on the hip joints is at an acceptable level, and patients do not report any complications with their hip joints after prostate irradiation. On the contrary, arc therapy significantly increases the volume of healthy tissues irradiated with medium and low doses, thereby increasing the risk of side effects from the radiation. Another associated effect is a decrease in the number of immune system cells associated with large-volume photon irradiation, which is not observed when irradiating the prostate alone.
Yes, our results are indeed very good, comparable to world leaders in proton therapy. Thanks to our results, we are ranked among the top 5 facilities in the world. All our data is processed by an independent company with certification for health research, ensuring their authenticity and accuracy. Have you asked your treating doctors about the results they achieve with the method they offer for your diagnosis? We are very happy to show you ours.
Chief Physicist at PTC: If there is fluid, air, bones, or another material or a combination of these in the path of the beam, this is taken into account in the calculation, and it does not affect the accuracy of the irradiation. If the patient has, for example, a metal implant in the body, the proton beam is not directed through it. From this, it follows that the dose distribution always corresponds to the relevant anatomical situation, which is considered in the calculation.
Proton therapy is covered by health insurance by law and is therefore accessible to all citizens of the Czech Republic. We have long-term contracts with all Czech health insurance companies.
Based on monitoring our patients and continuously evaluating their health status, we can declare that the risk of severe rectal bleeding after prostate irradiation is 0.4%. If this situation occurs in your case, we will solve it together with our collaborating specialists.
Pacemakers or ICDs are sensitive electronic devices that can be damaged by any kind of radiation. In proton radiotherapy, secondary high-energy particles are generated, which pose an increased risk of damaging electronics, potentially leading to pacemaker malfunction. CT examination is essential for radiotherapy planning. Metal materials (implants, dental fillings, etc.) create so-called artifacts in CT images (structures that do not exist in the body appear on the CT scan). These can affect the dose calculation in a given area, which could result in inaccuracies in the radiation dose. At the Proton Center, we strive to eliminate all risks, so we do not treat patients with implants in the irradiated area. Of course, metal in the pelvic area does not matter if we are irradiating tumors, for example, in the head and neck area.
The conclusions of the latest published PTC studies indicate that incontinence occurred in less than 1% of patients. Compared to data published for photon radiotherapy and surgical procedures, this toxicity is significantly lower.
Even during treatment, you can still be with your loved ones. You don't have to stay in the hospital; you can work, and we will adjust the radiation time according to your needs.
Due to the precision of the proton beam, the risk of impotence is significantly reduced compared to conventional treatment methods. In addition, protons allow for reduced unwanted irradiation in the area of the penile base, which is one of the causes of erectile dysfunction after radiotherapy.
Tumors that quickly change position or shape over time are considered unsuitable for proton therapy. This applies to tumors of the eye, larynx, pharynx, vocal cords, skin tumors (e.g., melanoma), stomach, small and large intestines, bladder, testicles, and generalized diseases with multiple metastases.
Photon radiation passes through the body and delivers a significant amount of energy behind the tumor. As a result, not only the tumor but also healthy tissues and organs in front of and behind the tumor are irradiated. This can lead to many problems and complications for the patient during and after treatment. However, protons have a physical property where they deliver little energy on the way to the tumor, stop there, deliver the maximum energy, and then do not continue. By using protons, we can protect healthy tissues from unwanted irradiation, significantly reducing the risk of treatment side effects.
Biologically and technically speaking, it does not matter if protons are used to treat someone who is 10, 20, or 80 years old. The reason why younger patients are sometimes chosen is the likelihood of side effects that occur with any cancer treatment, and this risk is multiplied by the expected lifespan. However, with protons, this probability of side effects is reduced. The younger a person is, the more gently they need to be irradiated. However, this does not mean that we cannot irradiate older patients, as age discrimination is excluded.
Consider the options you have. You don’t have to decide immediately. The chosen treatment has a significant impact on the quality of life not only during but also after treatment. The side effects can vary greatly between different prostate cancer treatment methods.
contact us
