Bowel Cancer Patient Claims to Have Been Cured by Proton Beam Therapy
Much has been written about the latest cancer cure technology called proton beam therapy. It is a type of external beam radiation therapy that kills cancer cells with minimal damage to healthy cells and tissue. It also emits a lower dose of radiation that reduces side effects common in chemotherapy.
But most of the success stories heard about this cutting edge alternative treatment are those with prostate cancer. Recently, however, a senior citizen from U.K. claims to have been treated for his bowel cancer with proton beam therapy after doctors said his condition was "inoperable."
Eric Day first developed bowel cancer in 2012 but was treated successfully with surgery and chemotherapy. In August 2016 however, a secondary tumor the size of a small orange was discovered in the lumbar region anterior to his spine, and it was considered untreatable due to its sensitive location.
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This made surgery, chemotherapy and traditional radiotherapy out of the question because of the risk of damaging nearby vital organs. The only option left was palliative care to relieve him of his constant pain. As a retired dental practitioner, Eric thought there might be other options.
His research led him to the Proton Therapy Center the Czech Republic where he underwent 24 "fractions" or "doses" as an outpatient. Since the procedure was done for a few minutes every morning, he and his wife went sight-seeing in Prague for the rest of the day.
The procedure works by targeting protons on cancer cells with laser-point precision. Except for problems with his digestive system and tiredness in the later part of the treatment, which disappeared upon their return to Britain, Eric didn't experience other side effects. There was also no need to take analgesics.
Eric's latest positron emission tomography scan showed that the tumor had disappeared, and there was no spread anywhere else. "It's four months since I took so much as a single paracetamol tablet," he said. "I am pain free, eating properly again and have regained the lost weight," he added.
