Ces Urol 2013, 17(3):154-165 | DOI: 10.48095/cccu2013025

Modern radiotherapy of localized prostate cancer

Renata Soumarová^1,2,3, Hana Perková¹, Luboš Homola¹, Stanislav Machala¹, Halina Richterová¹

¹ Nemocnice Nový Jičín a Komplexní onkologické centrum Nový Jičín

² Lékařská fakulta Ostravské univerzity v Ostravě

³ Vzdělávací a výzkumný institut AGEL, o.p.s. - pobočka Nový Jičín, Nemocnice Nový Jičín a.s., Onkologické oddělení

Aim:
Radiotherapy has been one of the standard treatments for prostate cancer for decades. Rapid technological development over the last 20 years has changed the way we use radiotherapy to treat prostate cancer.

Methods:
This communication reviews study outcomes and summarizes the current knowledge regarding the use of newer technologies in the radiation treatment for localized prostate cancer.

Results:
Randomized studies have shown that higher doses of radiation improve clinical outcomes, but with increased toxicity to healthy tissue. The introduction of the techniques of conformal radiotherapy, intensity modulated radiotherapy, proton therapy, stereoactic radiation therapy and brachytherapy allows for the escalation of radiation doses with a simultaneous reduction in toxicity. However, its use has been associated with errors and inaccuracies due to the motion of the prostate in real time. Recent technological developments allow for better monitoring and response to these changes.

Conclusion:
Technological advances in radiotherapy have led to improved delivery of high doses of radiation to the prostate while reducing the toxicity of the surrounding healthy tissue. Randomized studies are justified and important, but often cannot be performed at the same rate at which new technological innovations are developed and introduced into clinical practice.

Keywords: modern radiotherapy, prostate cancer

Received: March 19, 2013; Accepted: May 10, 2013; Published: June 1, 2013