The costly project of proton therapy
Americans are flocking to proton therapy. Medical centres are turning to most expensive treatments — proton therapy; a 222 ton accelerator in a big house with walls 18 to 20 feet thick will cost 100 to 200 million.A Herculean nuclear particle accelerator is being used to treat cancer. This was used for physics research only. It is expected that cancer will be over come with this new horizon of application of proton. It is said that the machine accelerates protons the speed of light and shoot them into cancer- tumours. Undoubtedly, it is the complex medical device. But a group of expert are in the opinion of fair and foul return in health- care system, evidence of improved health is lacking; it will be market- base. Other groups demand that proton beams are more costly and fruitful than the X-ray. It has less side effects and cure rate is satisfactory. The preachers of proton therapy find the necessity of more hospital- based proton therapy- centres for treating prostate gland, breast and lungs cancer. Till to 2000 United States had possessed only one proton- therapy- centre and in 2007 it has gone up to five . More centres are still announced to act in the States of country. Experts say there is need of more protons –therapy- centres. The medical –centres are running with hot- foot to earn the profit and prestige of being first. A mad race will be expected in very coming future, not only in America. The Loma Linda Medical centre of Loma Linda University in Southern California is the first started this centre. X-rays are high- energy electromagnetic waves pass through the body depositing energy all along the way not only in treated tumour. Where as subatomic particles, protons that are a positive electrical charge, can be controlled, regulated and stopped on the effected tumour. It deposits energy on tumour. Only is said by Proponents who demand that proton centres will provide better treatment than x-rays-therapy. They also added, “More Americans, nearest to eighty thousand prefer proton therapy to x-rays in the present year and, if half of is benefited they will create many more proton- therapy centres. Dr. Anthony L. Zelman , a reputed radiation oncologist of Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital was horrified by the style of craze of proton centres are increasing. He himself operates a proton centre. A race is already started among in America for newly advertised therapy that demands all treatments are best done, though cancer of prostate gland can be made delayed according to a study made by experts and doctors. In 1990, Loma Linda had started the first hospital-based proton centre in the country and it announces treated more than thousand patients that add fuel to others to set-up centres. The financial companies are seen ready with their bags .Dr. Jerry D. Slater, the topmost of radiation medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Centre in Southern California is in favour of this therapy and is pleading for it. Even the Local and State Governments are trying to allure the international patients. Financial organisations are indirectly creating community hospitals and groups of doctors. Millions and millions dollars are being undertaking by Hampton University of Virginia that does not have a medical school. William R. Harvey, the president, said that proton centres must help African-American . He opined that the black suffered from some cancers in higher rate than white does. He even did not find the necessity of medical institutions for setting –up proton-treatment-centre. He dreamed to borrow the doctors to face the load of patients, either, inland or out-patients. Oklahoma City presently has imagined four centres, two for the central and other two for suburbs of Chicago. They say that existing capacity are beyond the reach of maintaining the load of out-patients and many patients are left untreated due to that inability. So they are in urgent need of setting more centres. The M. D. Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston started a $130 million proton-centre in 2006. The doctors are warning the patients or parents of the patients not go through x-rays radiation. The threatening of damage of physical or mental capacity are shown by the physicians are heard. Naturally, no wants to get his or his wards limbs unsafe going through conventional therapy. They spend extra money for treatment and living out-station for long time. Is it not going to be a big business in future world-wise? No fruitful result to cure child hood , spine and head cancer has been heard or seen in accordance with the opinion of radiation experts so far. It is told that this therapy may avoid the deadly side-effects like impotence and other problems that x-rays do. To treat prostate cancer the bladder and rectum are exposed to send radiation that is less than x-rays. The stray radiation , though from the newest form of x-rays , called intensity modulated radiation therapy , is low, diminishing any advantage from proton therapy. But Dr. Theodore S. Lawrence, the chairman of radiation oncology at the University of Michigan has expressed another experience. ‘ If you want to spend a lot on dollars , you must make sure that you or your patient feel an improvement , not theoretical but practical. Except prostate cancer , others are cost effective is an economic analysis by researchers of Fox Chase Cancer Centre in Philadelphia. A balloon is inserted into the rectum and filled with water to make the prostate immobilized. A prostate cancer patient has to stay at Loma Linda at least two months of daily session. The actual irradiation , that sends no feeling to the patient , takes only a minute. The early prostate cancer cases are heard no symptoms , though some people say their immediate side effects, other than fatigue and urinate urgency.
The time will say what waits in her womb for future mankind. Either only money or comfort will be brought is not certain. But a new day may arrive is the prayer of present generation. Doctors are also learning how to control lung , breast and head cancer using proton therapy. We expect cost will come down with the development of technology and come in the reach of common-people. Moreover, the treatment will be more routine to build and operate proton centres for future need. Touro University has announced that it will set-up a combined proton and carbon therapy centre, that is proved, it says, more powerful to kill cancer tumour than that of other therapies, in San Francisco as early as 2011 to 2012.
Some other clinics are also considering opening such like centres at cost of more million dollars or euros. We, the world-people expect a root-out cancer program, when ‘ a fixed beam treatment –room will vanish brain and eye tumour consoling patients , as now are being done to cough and cold and. When no child, either your or others will never say, “Dying is easy.”