Yesterday I watched a replay of a very recent live webinar hosted by the excellent UsToo prostate cancer support group chapter in Greenville, SC. The speaker’s main objective was to describe a relatively new product known as SpaceOAR, an innovation now used in prostate cancer radiation therapy—both photon and proton. He prudently disclosed his non-monetary relationship with Augmenix, SpaceOAR’s parent company, and did a very good job describing their product. The presenter was Daniel Fried, a radiation oncologist specializing in …

This is the time of year when bloggers make either resolutions or predictions. I’m not particularly good at either, so I will arbitrarily choose the latter and share my predictions for 2016. I actually have many, but I’ll keep the list short and limited to those relevant to The After Proton Blog. I also have a few un-predictions of what will not happen in 2016. Keep in mind that I have no track record whatsoever of making accurate or even …

Those of us who have completed proton beam therapy for prostate cancer know it’s not the scary proposition we thought it—or any treatment—might be before we took the plunge. But think back: despite your research, weren’t there at least a few surprises? New guys following in our footsteps naturally turn to us to ask what it’s like, and we have a responsibility to explain it in an accurate manner. But merely laying out the bare facts of the technique can …

For those who don’t know, let me briefly explain that one of the more thrilling elements of each session of proton therapy for prostate cancer is the insertion of a special saline-filled balloon into the orifice where the sun don’t shine. Its purpose is to stabilize the prostate during radiation, and after each treatment it is removed until next time. In, then out. In, out. 39 times for me and most guys, more or less for some others. While the …