Prostate SBRT in 5 Fractions

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) is an emerging treatment modality with excellent control rates for low and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. It is a precise, high-dose form of radiation therapy that allows physicians to treat cancer in just one to five treatments. Rather than multiple doses over many weeks required in conventional radiation, the treatment is well-tolerated, typically lasting about 20 minutes. It can be completed in less than two weeks, with two to three treatments each week.

Prostate SBRT is a potential treatment option for patients with low-risk prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 6 and PSA of 10/mg/mL, or for select patients with an intermediate-risk Gleason score of 7, an affliction confined to the prostate, or for men with a PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) reading of less than 10 ng/mL.

The process involves inserting a hydrogel, a device that separates the prostate and the rectum to prevent radiation exposure, and a fiducial marker that marks the treatment area. Astera patients benefit from this treatment because it is completed in an outpatient setting, eliminating the need for patients to travel to large hospitals.

While all Astera Radiation Oncology sites can perform SBRT procedures, most patients have SBRT completed at the Monroe office, which features the latest cancer-fighting technology and local, top-rated physicians.

The role of SBRT for high-risk diseases, however, is less studied. For example, the standard treatment (RT) for high-risk prostate cancer entails 8-9 weeks of daily RT with long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Compared to this, SBRT is completed in 5 sessions and offers convenience, low toxicity, and equivalent biochemical disease control rates as standard RT in the low- and intermediate-risk setting.

Five-treatment SBRT appears to be a safe and effective treatment for high-risk prostate carcinoma, with a median 84-month follow-up. The addition of pelvic radiation or ADT does not confer any bDFS benefit with this modality. Our data suggest that SBRT alone may be the optimal approach. SBRT may be a promising treatment alternative to discuss, particularly for patients unable to undergo ADT or unwilling to receive standard 8-9 week RT. Prospective studies are required to corroborate our results.

More Articles