My comments are in reference to the proposal of medicare and medicaid to no longer pay for proton radiation treatment for prostate cancer. I am now retired but was a board certified immunologist with a practice in allergy, asthma and immunology. [PHI Redacted] biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of prostate cancer. At the onset of treatment PSA was almost 10 and Gleason score was 9.4. Although [PHI Redacted] urologist admitted he knew little about protron radiation therapy because articles about it did not appear in the urologic literature, he refered [PHI Redacted] for external beam conformational proton radiation therapy. [PHI Redacted] results have been excellent. PSA is now 0.2 and has been for well over two years. [PHI Redacted] had no complications. During the three years since treatment four of my good friends have also had similar therapy. All of them have had no significant side effects and all lead active lives. During this time also, however, five or more of my friends have undergone other forms of treatment. All of these have suffered one or more complications/side effects, and one unfortunate gentleman is now wearing a colostomy bag and another a permanent supr-pubic catheter. The medicare/medicaid proplem with this therapy relates to cost. The initial cost of proton radiation is somewhat greater, but when surgeon fees, anesthesia fees, hospitilization, drugs, lab work, etc is added up, the difference isn''t so much. The big difference is is the treatment of complications. Proton therapy leads to very few complications and of those the vast majority are mild and require little or no Rx. The amount of money paid by medicare and the insurance company for the gentleman noted above has cost more than the combined proton therapy for [PHI Redacted] and my four friends. All of the costs of therapy, including those that relate to deterioration of life style must be considered. [PHI Redacted]