Proton beam radiation therapy of prostate cancer - history, results, and future directions

Proton beam radiation therapy of organ-confined prostate cancer now constitutes one of the most commonly treated malignancies with this modality. This paper will provide a concise review of the history of proton beam therapy of prostate cancer, discuss the most recently published clinical data, examine the future uses of proton beam radiotherapy in prostate cancer treatment, and seek to place proton beam therapy in the context of other technological evolutions in radiation oncology.