Understanding Radiation Therapy, It's Benefits and Costs
- Michael Strahan’s daughter Isabella, 19, was diagnosed with brain cancer this past October after experiencing headaches, nausea, and vomiting. She underwent emergency surgery to remove most of the mass in her brain. Additional treatment, including proton radiation therapy and chemotherapy, is part of her treatment.
- Medulloblastoma is a rare primary central nervous system tumor. This type of brain tumor is cancerous and grows quickly, making it more likely to spread to other parts of the body.
- Proton therapy is best suited for patients whose cancer has not yet spread to other parts of the body.
- The biggest advantage of this kind of radiation is that it minimizes damage to healthy cells and possible side effects because the protons stop at the target instead of X-rays that continue to pass through the body and leave an exit dose.
- Proton therapy can be costly, averaging “4,707 to $6,690,” according to the National Institutes of Health. Insurance providers may cover a portion of the cost of treatment.
“Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan’s daughter Isabella, 19, revealed she’s dealing with a malignant brain tumor. The announcement came during an emotional interview with Strahan and his daughter with fellow GMA host and breast cancer survivor Robin Roberts.
While Isabella says she’s “feeling good” following radiation therapy, she says her journey is far from over as she anticipates chemotherapy. The type of radiation treatment the football Hall of Famer’s daughter received is an advanced form of radiation called proton radiation.
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Isabella’s brain cancer journey revved up last Fall when she started getting headaches and nausea and had trouble walking. When she would wake up, there were times when she would throw up blood.
“I was like, ‘Hmm, this probably isn’t good,” Isabella told Roberts on “Good Morning America.”
After sharing her symptoms with her family, she visited her doctor, who performed several tests. They discovered she had a four-centimeter tumor bigger than a golf ball in the back of her brain.
When Strahan learned his daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, he struggled to wrap his head around it.
“It didn’t feel real,” Michael Strahan said.
Isabella was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, which is a rare primary central nervous system tumor, the National Cancer Institute explains. This type of brain tumor is cancerous and grows quickly, making it more likely to spread to other parts of the body.
Common symptoms for this type of tumor may include:
- Difficulty walking or balancing
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Difficulty with vision
- Seizures
Isabella underwent emergency surgery a day before she turned 19 years old to remove the mass. However, people diagnosed with this type of brain tumor often undergo additional treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy to get the remaining bits of cancer that may have eluded surgeons during the initial surgery.
“I just finished radiation therapy, which is proton radiation, and I got to ring the bell yesterday. It was great. It was very exciting because it’s been a long 30 sessions, six weeks,” Isabella said.
Isabella anticipates the next steps in her treatment in February when she will begin chemotherapy at Duke Children’s Hospital and Health Center, which is part of Duke Health, where world-renowned brain cancer expert Dr. Henry Friedman, a noted neuro-oncologist, works at Duke Cancer Institute.
Dr. Friedman tells SurvivorNet that he and his team are researching more ways to treat brain cancer and offer additional hope for patients.
“I’m ready for it to start and be one day closer to being over,” Isabella said.
With her father nearby, Isabella said she chose to share her diagnosis publicly to be an advocate for others battling a similar diagnosis.
“I hope to just kind of be a voice and be [someone] who people, maybe, are going through chemotherapy or radiation, can look at,” she bravely explained.
Michael Strahan said the experience has given him and his daughter added gratitude towards life.
“It’s really made me change my perspective on so many things in my life,” he said.
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The Benefits of Undergoing Proton Therapy
Traditional X-ray therapy and the newer proton therapy are both types of radiation. They destroy cancer cells by damaging their DNA. However, X-rays work by passing through the person, and in the process, they cause the most damage under the skin until the X-ray exits the body on the other end. This process means some healthy cells are also damaged in addition to the cancer cells.
Protons are positively charged particles and are heavier than X-rays. The added weight means they lose speed quickly. This means physicians can better control where the proton releases most of its energy so that the radiation stops at the target, minimizing the impact on healthy cells. The reduced impact on healthy cells also means fewer side effects.
WATCH: Understanding the difference between X-rays and Proton radiation.
“The second-generation proton therapy that’s becoming more common in the United States is called pencil beam scanning proton therapy,” Dr. Charles Simone, Chief Medical Officer at the New York Proton Center, tells SurvivorNet.
“That allows us to really decrease the amount of radiation that’s being delivered before the tumor, still has the advantage of stopping at the tumor, but then we can really sculpt our radiation dose to exactly the shape of the tumor,” Dr. Simone added.
“We generally don’t think that they’re more effective at killing tumor– although if we can reduce side effects, we may be able to treat the higher doses with proton therapy that then can be more effective at killing the tumor,” Dr. Simone continued.
The Cost of Proton Therapy
Proton radiation can reduce side effects and are effective; however, it does not come cheap.
Dr. Keith Cengel, a radiation oncologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, says there are several things to consider. Firstly, proton therapy might not be easily accessible for many people.
“Right now, there’s a limited number of (proton radiation) facilities. They tend to exist in very large metropolitan areas. They tend to be expensive,” Dr. Cengel explained to SurvivorNet.
“You have to think about what potential gain you’re going to get from it versus the problem of the fact that you don’t live in a major metropolitan area. You have to make a very tough decision,” Dr. Cengel added, highlighting the cost of proton radiation treatment.
Average costs for proton radiation therapy can range widely across the United States. Depending on the number of treatments your doctor prescribes, the cost can also quickly increase. The National Institutes of Health notes the median price ranged from “4,707 to $6,690.” Meanwhile, on the high end of the spectrum, proton radiation can cost $16,000 to $22,000.
Insurance providers often cover some of the costs, but that still can leave patients with a hefty price. A research study published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics found that “Approval rates by Medicare and private insurance were ‘91% and 30% on the initial request.”
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