That early form was not so effectual, but the modern beams used - proton, neutron and others - are very successful.

Proton prostate cancer treatment is a very successful method of treating prostate cancer.

A particle accelerator is used to deliver an external beam of protons at specific parts of the prostate, namely, the cancerous parts.

This will cause major damage to the DNA of the cancerous growth and minor collateral damage to the prostate gland itself.

Proton prostate cancer treatment works on the principle that healthy cells can repair their DNA far more quickly than cancerous cells.

Therefore, the cancer should die while the healthy cells should only be affected in the short term and not all the healthy cells will be affected at the same time.

This is why proton prostate cancer treatment can take up to nine or ten weeks. Treatment involves the patient staying in a hospital during this period and receiving regular, but small doses of proton prostate cancer treatment, thus giving the healthy tissue an opportunity to recover, but not the cancerous tumor.

There are also specialist proton therapy centres and proton therapy institutes, if you would rather go there than have the particle therapy at your local hospital.

These proton treatment centres may be supported by your health authority or health insurance company.

The proton beams beams used have very special properties. They are highly-focussed and the strength of their beam can be accurately regulated for distance too.

The majority of the power of the beam is concentrated in the last few millimetres of the beam, which is called the Bragg Peak.

This means that side effects are minimalized in surrounding tissue. However, the deeper the cancer, the lower the energy of the proton beam may be. This means frequent low doses, meaning very little collateral damage.

You may be worried by the fact that proton prostate cancer treatment is advertised as 'new'. Technology and techniques are advancing all the time, but the idea of using protons to fight cancer was first promulgated in 1946.

Other centres sprang up around the world, but the first dedicated proton treatment centre was built at Loma Linda in 1990.

Therefore, proton prostate cancer treatment is not new, although ideas, techniques and equipment are.

The proton accelerators are very expensive and the final vote is not yet in whether proton prostate cancer treatment is really that much better than conventional surgery which is certainly a lot cheaper.

If you have to make up your mind about which therapy for prostate cancer to choose, you will obviously have to consult your surgeon and doctor, but be well aware of the cost implications, if your insurance company tries to persuade you in one particular clinical direction.

Make sure that the advice you receive on proton prostate cancer treatment really is impartial.