Proton Therapy: Facts vs Myths
Myth: There is very high demand for proton therapy.
Fact: Estimated projections show that Michigan will need one proton therapy unit for every 10 million people by 2020. That means the state can support one proton unit based on current population projections. The consortium will ensure appropriate utilization and cost-management.
Myth: One center could manage this service more effectively than a consortium.
Fact: Building a proton treatment center will cost about $160 million to build, which is at least 2.5 times the cost of sophisticated photon radiation therapy. In addition, the yearly support costs are dramatically greater. It is in the best interest of patients, employers and taxpayers to manage health care costs appropriately. A consortium ensures that one center will operate at high efficiency versus multiple centers operating at low volumes, risking financial and operational viability. In addition, a large and diverse group of clinicians from throughout the state offers the benefit of a wide range of expertise. The consortium could develop standards and collect data to ensure the appropriate patients are being referred and the doctors have sufficient expertise in radiation oncology to deliver high quality care.
Myth: Proton therapy is the best treatment option for many types of cancer.
Fact: Proton beam therapy appears to be most promising for treating certain pediatric cancers and certain rare tumors in adults.
Myth: Proton therapy has been around for a long time and is well-proven.
Fact: Proton therapy was first used to treat cancer in 1954, but the technology has been difficult to make practical in the clinic. The first hospital-based treatment center in the United States opened in 1990. Much of the research to date has been in the form of non-controlled studies, meaning the results were not compared to similar patients receiving state-of-the-art photon therapy. Careful prospective trials are required to determine whether there is any measurable benefit to proton therapy, and if so, whether the benefit justifies the substantially increased cost over photon therapy.
Myth: Proton therapy is more effective at killing cancer.
Fact: Protons and photons, or standard X-ray radiation, are essentially equally effective at killing tumor cells. Protons have the potential to deliver less dose to normal tissue for the same dose to the tumor. It is not yet known whether the difference in dose to the normal tissue between that given by protons and photons decreases the side effects in patients.
Myth: Proton therapy is more effective than traditional radiation for prostate cancer and causes fewer side effects.
Fact: No studies have shown better results or decreased side effects when treating early stage prostate cancer with protons compared to the best available photon radiation therapy. It is possible that proton therapy will cause less damage to healthy tissue and produce fewer side effects; however, there is no proof at this point that proton therapy is superior. Our consortium would develop research protocols to study this issue.
