Proton Beam Therapy Treating Cancer by Traveling Abroad

Cancer survivor promotes Korean 'radiation vacation'

When Curtis Poling found out he had prostate cancer, he momentarily considered doing nothing over the treatment options he was presented.

"It's devastating what it could do to a man," said Poling, who was 53 at the time.

"When (the surgeon) said I'd have to wear diapers for a year and the words 'leakage' and 'lose sexual function,' I was just sick."

The side effects of treating prostate cancer can be overwhelming. In addition to the effects of chemotherapy and surgery, radiation can cause urinary, bowel and erectile dysfunction.

Poling believes he found a better way.

Please read on here!

2 1/2 years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer

Just a little over 2 1/2 years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 53 with no real symptoms. It was a dreadful day. Overnight I was catapulted from the position of comfortable normal life and found it a little strange to be the faced with a potentially life-threatening disease. It was foreign territory and was the last place I wanted to be. Shock, disbelief, disorganization and difficulty in understanding, I was unprepared for my own reaction to the diagnosis of cancer. At first I was simply stunned.

Once the dust settled I new I had to be aggressive in my treatment... with a PSA more than doubling in 8 months and a family history of prostate cancer...I knew it had to be treated early not later.

I was shocked at the options for treatment and dreaded to deal with life changing side effects they offered. I had never faced any major health problem before. I found that I had to be my own advocate for my treatment choice. Through my due diligence I decided on proton beam therapy for cancer treatment.

Unfortunately early on I was denied insurance coverage for PBT and due to a limited policy left me with very few options for treatment. We finally got approval for PBT. It was a challenge to leave home for 2 1/2 months but we managed. Once treated I was denied coverage a second time upon returning home. We challenged the decision and eventually prevailed in coverage.

Today after 45 sessions of proton therapy, my PSA nadir is at .8 (down from 5.8) my health is great with no side effects from treatment. Proton therapy was an excellent choice for me.

Most prostate cancer patients move on but the process was so profound that I felt it important to mentor others and seek out affordable proton beam options for underinsured and uninsured or immediate need of treatment.

Through networking and working with cancer groups a connection was made with Noah here at KMI in Seoul Korea. An invite was extended to visit this wonderful facility and experience Korea. What a revelation that has been.

I discovered that the NCC is a sanctuary of healing. Combined with the alluring sights, generosity and hospitality of Korean people, an extended stay here, for proton treatment, provides an affordable, comfortable, and remarkable journey for future patients.

It is my pleasure and privilege to serve as an advisory through KMI International, the graciousness of the KTO and the hosts here at the NCC, in extending invitations for future patients and facilitate making a journey for proton treatment at the NCC.

Proton Korea Gateway

Gateway to start the proton process by traveling abroad is now live at http://protonkorea.com.

Proton beam therapy has been used for over 50 years

Well I could not hold myself back on what seems an endless rhetoric of comments on proton therapy posted through the various groups on the internet. They usually go like this:

"Has anyone undergone this treatment as their primary form of treatment and are dissatisfied with the results?? The cancer forums are full of glowing testimonials claiming full cures with no side effects but I suspect there is a dark side to this procedure that goes unreported..I notice no one talks about the cost and the hassle of relocating to one of the few treatment centers for 8 or 10 weeks...

Does proton beam really enjoy a higher success rate than standard external beam radiation??"...as it goes

My reply to this reads like this.....

Loma Linda Medical University has treated over 10,000 prostate patients since the early 90's. You will be hard pressed to find a dark side to proton therapy vs other forms of treatment available. With the treatment being offered for pediatric cancers, brain, eye, lung early stage cancers the proton beam is a powerful instrument of cure. If you are looking at justifying cost with an means that cures children and so many types of cancer with no long term side effects...why would you ask this question? How do you put a value on saving a childs life or reducing the pain suffering from lung cancer. Proton beam therapy has been with us since the early 50's (referencing "Handbook of accelerator physics and engineering" By Alex Chao) it states.."page 30 "Even with less sophisticated delivery systems, dose distributions of proton and ion beams are considerably better then even the best x-ray systems, and successful clinical programs with these beams have been ongoing for almost 50 years."

For those that are under-insured and uninsured there are many options for proton treatment at reasonable costs. Yes I have battled cancer and was treated with Proton with 45 sessions. I have no side effects and doing just great. To me the small inconvenience of being away from home for 9 weeks was far better than what other forms of treatment side effects offered. If you have been diagnosed with cancer and proton beam therapy is an option please take a look it. It will be a wise decision.

Considering Proton Beam Therapy for Prostate Cancer

I read in recent prostate blogs and groups that proton beam radiation therapy is becoming more difficult for insurance approval. The sign of our times is putting more value on the actual cost of treatment versus pain, side effects and loss of bodily functions. Medical professionals like to quote this… "Many men do extremely well after PBRT (proton beam radiation therapy) ... but that is true for every type of therapy, particularly in the case of men with low-risk prostate cancer"... This statement oversimplifies the outcome of the procedures and is self serving for the treating physician. You need to be your own patient advocate during this discovery process.

There is a dynamic difference in treatments and side effects. If you consider IMRT, IGRT or Cyberknife, these treatments are all forms of photon x-ray beams and have collateral damage to all tissue exposed. Proton beam therapy only ionizes the actual tumor and not the surrounding tissue due to Bragg peak properties of the beam.

If you have recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer please read through this blog and consider the consequences of other treatments. If you decide as I did on proton therapy you can lead a normal life keeping your sexuality with no loss of bodily functions or pain during and after proton treatment. Continue to forge ahead do not give up on being treated with proton beam therapy.

I read prostate cancer treatment posts daily and it is so sad to see so many men regretting their decision of prostate cancer treatment. Please read this 41 year old gentleman’s story at PSA Rising website. This is just one of the thousands of sad stories to read if you do a little of research. Yes they did treat their cancer but at what cost to quality of life during the cure.

It has now been 2 1/2 years since my proton therapy and I have not lost a day to surgery, pain, loss of sexuality, strength or urination from my prostate cancer treatment. I know I have made the right decision. Please feel free to drop me note if you need any assistance or advice through the process. I do have resources to assist.

Millions Skipping Life-Saving Cancer Treatments Over Cost

Millions of cancer patients are skipping treatments because of cost, putting long-term health and well-being at risk.

An analysis conducted by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center shows that two out of 12 million adult cancer survivors have skipped treatment in the previous year due to financial reasons.

Among cancer survivors, 7.8 percent went without some kind of medical care, 9.9 percent without prescription medications, 11.3 percent without dental care, and 2.7 percent went without mental health care.

Cancer patients under age 65 (when Medicare kicks in) were one and a half to two times more likely to have put off medical care. Hispanic and black cancer survivors were more likely to go without prescription medications and dental care than white survivors.

Breast and prostate cancer survivors are least likely to do without; cervical cancer and melanoma survivors are most likely to skip medical care. Please read on here.