For Prostate Ca ncer Patients (NAPSA)—Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men in the U.S., but if detected early, it has a five-year survival rate of nearly 99 percent. While surgery and radiation therapy may have similar outcomes for early-stage prostate cancer, radiation therapy is the primary option for locally advanced prostate cancer and can also be used for localized prostate cancer. When deciding on a treatment route, the best option is the one that most effectively treats the tumor and spares surrounding healthy tissue and organs, which reduces the risk of side effects. All of this can be accomplished with proton therapy, a treatment option available at the MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center. Proton therapy is an advanced type of radiation treatment that uses a beam of protons to deliver radiation directly to the tumor, destroying cancercells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue and vital organs. It is because of the precision of proton radiation andits ability to reduce therisk of short- and long-term side effects that Arkansasresident Terry Lavy decided to come to Houston, Texas to undergo proton therapy treatment at MD Anderson. Terry, a 72-year-old retired University of Arkansas professor, received an alarming phonecall from his urologist in March 2008; he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. “My first reaction was shock and disbelief,” Terry said. He sat down with his local urologist to discuss his treatment options, but before making a decision, Terry decided to talk it over with his friends and ath Terry’s physician, Seungtaek Choi, M.D., an assistant professor of radiation oncology, noted that “proton therapy was an excellent treatment choice for Terry’s cancer because the reduced risk of side effects would allow him to continue his life and enjoy his pastime of fishing and spending time we) GC oat
