Proton therapy as a world-famous treatment method

“We treat patients with certain types of cancer. Radiotherapy, or irradiation, is an integral part of the comprehensive treatment of oncology patients. “What we offer patients at the Proton Center is proton radiotherapy, which is radiation with a proton beam,” the director of the quality and process department at the Proton Center in Prague began his talk Kateřina Krejbichová.

Irradiation can be performed in several ways in the Czech Republic, but the Proton Center in Prague is the only one in the country that can provide proton irradiation. It is unique in its accuracy. It can illuminate the target area very precisely, and at the same time significantly illuminate the surrounding healthy tissues and organs.

By being able to protect healthy tissues and organs around the tumor from unwanted radiation doses at the Proton Center in Prague, they reduce the risk of side effects that may occur during or after treatment. Therefore, patients are often able to continue their lives without restrictions after treatment ends.

“Proton treatment for prostate cancer generally has minimal impact on the patient’s daily life”

For some diagnoses, radiation is the final link in the oncological treatment chain and is only performed after surgery or possibly chemotherapy. However, for some diagnoses, radiotherapy is equated with surgery, for example prostate cancer. In cases like this, patients can choose whether to undergo surgery or radiation.

Treatment outcomes in terms of patient survival are very similar for both treatment options, however there is a large difference in quality of life after treatment. “Proton treatment for prostate cancer generally has minimal impact on the patient’s overall daily life. It is performed on an outpatient basis, so most patients are able to work even during treatment. “Compared to other treatment methods, such as prostate surgery, this method also has minimal side effects, especially in the form of incontinence,” explained Kateřina Krejbichová.

The disadvantage of proton therapy comes to some extent from the accuracy of the proton beam itself. “We cannot treat all diagnoses. We can only treat patients in whom we can always ensure the same position of the irradiation site throughout the treatment. For example, for safety reasons, we cannot treat patients who have stomach, intestinal tumors, etc. Proton treatment also cannot replace chemotherapy or hormonal treatment, in most cases, except for prostate cancer, it cannot be used as a substitute for surgery and the like.”

Treatment at the Proton Center in Prague is available to all patients

Treatment at the Proton Center in Prague is available to all patients who show interest in it. By law, this is covered by health insurance companies, and the center has had contracts with all health insurance companies for several years.

When a patient finds out that he has an oncological diagnosis, he can contact the Proton Center in Prague and find out about his treatment options, all he needs is a message explaining the diagnosis. The first contact with the patient is handled by the client center staff, who will ensure the assessment of the patient’s health condition by the team of doctors.

Patients with diseases that can be treated with proton beams are contacted by center staff and made an appointment for an initial consultation. In it, the patient talks with a doctor about all the treatment options for his diagnosis.

“We rely on the fact that our doctors have enough time for patients”

Some patients with an oncological diagnosis in the Czech Republic have the experience that doctors impose certain treatment methods on them, but this is not the case with the staff of the Proton Center in Prague.

“We rely on the fact that our doctors have enough time for patients. Only the initial consultation lasts from half an hour to an hour, depending on the patient’s needs. Additionally, we inform patients of all treatment options so they can decide which treatment is most comfortable for them,” describes the director of the quality and process department. “We try to convey information to the general public that patients can contact us at any time, write us an email or come for a consultation, which does not commit them to anything.”

About half of the patients are told about the possibility of treatment at the Proton Center in Prague by their treating doctor, but some patients have to seek information on their own, because often even their treating doctor does not know about proton treatment. It is for this reason that doctors from various fields are invited to the Prague Proton Center for visits and examinations so that they can offer this treatment option to patients.

Access to patients is a top priority

At the Proton Center in Prague, they rely heavily on an exemplary approach to patients. “We emphasize to all new colleagues and teach them that it is the patient who is sick, and even though sometimes we don’t like him, we have to understand that he has the right to react irritated, cry, even get angry. getting angry and behaving unpleasantly, he has little right to exaggerate things. But we are professionals who have to handle all this. Thanks to this training, our staff knows how to communicate correctly and appropriately with patients who are going through difficult times in their lives.” narrated by Kateřina Krejbichová.

A great advantage of treatment at the Prague Proton Center is the fact that the patient can contact the workers of the client center at any time and at the same time be sure that only one doctor will treat him, from the start of treatment. until the end. The patient always sees the same doctor before, during, and after treatment, and can therefore have much more trust in that doctor than if he or she visited another doctor every week in the same clinic.

Staff at the Proton Center in Prague provide treatment to patients from all over the country. For patients living far away, it is possible to arrange accommodation near the health center at favorable prices. According to patients, a family atmosphere permeates the building which offers around fifteen rooms, and the fact that someone close to the patient can stay in the room with the patient is a big advantage.