Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy | New Health and Fitness

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External beam radiation treatment or radiotherapy is not new. Electron beam radiotherapy was first tested in 1915. This beam, the one used in X-Rays was not effective as it caused almost as much damage as it did good.

Proton beam radiotherapy was first suggested in 1946 and was carried out from 1954. This was much more successful because it is possible to retain more control over the point of impact of the beam. This creates less collateral harm to the adjacent healthy \cells.

Apart from these technologies there are also other external beams like the neutron beam and the 3D-CRT beam. There are also other more investigational beams and what is known as seed radiation too.

Except for seed radiation, there is no invasive surgery needed with external beam radiation therapy, there is very little collateral harm and practically no side effect, so you would imagine that this is the best prostate cancer treatment to go for.

However, this is not always the case, because there are so many other factors that need to be taken into account. These factors, such as the phase of the cancer, the general health of the patient and the patient?s point of view make the decision a complex one.

Consequently, if you have questions that have been raised from reading this short article, please take them up with your medical doctor or healthcare provider.

Prostate cancer is like an oil tanker, it can move quickly, but it takes a long time to reach this speed. If you have caught the cancer early, perhaps, in stage one, your GP may decide to ?wait and see?.

This could get upsetting for the patient, but it is a sincere tactic, because not all growths are cancerous and the prostate enlarges with age anyway. It is better for the doctor to carry out several tests and ?watchful waiting? to have irrefutable evidence what the growth is.

The first test will be a rectal examination with a finger (DRE), the GP may then check your PSA count. PSA stands for ?prostate specific antigen?, This antigen is produced by the prostate and some of it flows into the blood.

A small amount is standard, higher amounts may indicate a problem and its severity. Age is a factor, but if the degree reaches 10, then more tests have to be carried out and they may require a biopsy of the prostate to carry them out.

Once the GP is sure that you have cancer, then radiation therapy is only one of the options available and although you might prefer the sound of it, it might not be the most suitable therapy in your case.

Radiation therapy is very local in its impact, so if your cancer has not spread, radiation therapy can be used to pick off solitary flecks of growth. However, if it has gone further than that, it is likely that a different treatment will be chosen

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a variety of topics, but is now involved with the proton prostate cancer treatment. If you want to know more go to What is the Treatment for Prostate Cancer?

Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/04/prostate-cancer-radiation-therapy/

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