Source: Med page today

Proton radiation for early prostate cancer had an acceptable tolerability profile but produced little evidence of a "gee whiz" impact to support its cost, according to preliminary results from a phase I/II clinical trial.

Two-thirds of patients had acute genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicity, and a third had late GU/GI toxicity, Anthony Zietman, M.D., of Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital, reported at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology meeting.

Although most of the toxicity was grade 2 in severity, the overall profile provided little reason for enthusiasm.

"The bottom line is that the treatment was safe, it was reasonably well tolerated, but probably no better tolerated than any other form of radiation that we give," Dr. Zietman said.

According to this study, the less available and much more expensive proton radiation therapy for prostate cancer is not much different than traditional radiation.