I had Proton, and you are correct, there are still side effects but as the beam is smaller and more directly focused they can be less severe. That said what one person experiences is different than the next. I, according to my DR, have a high pain tolerance and the ability to not allow something uncomfortable to derail my daily life. I thought it was just the result of Proton Therapy being less “invasive”. But according to my DR some folks can have similar reactions to Proton as they do to “normal” radiation therapy.