Category: HEALTHCARE/MEDICAL

In the post below, I report on a technical study that reviews the clinical efficacy of proton beam machines. In short, for the most common forms of cancer, there is no appreciable difference in results, but the cost of the proton beam technology greatly exceeds that of technologies generally in use around the world.The exceptions are some of the more difficult forms of cancer, and who can argue with making this modality available to the few people who can benefit from it? Such was clearly the case with 12 year old David Gerfast, who received several weeks of treatment for chordoma, a rare type of cancer that occurs in the bones of the skull and spine. As noted here: “Chordomas are generally slow growing, but are relentless

Source: The National Association for Proton TherapyStarting in 2011, I raised concerns about the proliferation of very expensive proton beam radiation therapy centers, made possible by investors who leverage the extra payments for use of this treatment modality that have been authorized by CMS and private insurers. I asserted, based on my contacts in the radiation therapy profession, that the use of proton beam technology offered no significant advantage over lower cost intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in most cases. In short, I characterized proton beam developments as an example of the medical arms race, a rush by hospitals to compete on a high cost approach that offered little value to the public.Now comes a thoughtful analysis published by the Health Technology Assessment Program of the Washington