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A few years ago getting prostate cancer was being subjected to, among other things, weeks, if not months, at the machine or clinic just to receive small doses of radiation. But thanks to technology advancement, everything is possible to be achieved in shorter timeframes. Stereotactic body radiotherapy SBRT is one of the best hypofractionated radiation therapy treatments found which allows one to receive quite large doses of radiation in less time.
Applicably, SBRT has proven its efficacy in almost the same way as other therapies yet more convenient to the patient.. Instead of over 7.5-week period, now the entire radiotherapy plan can be completed within 4-5 visits conveniently spaced out at the end of a week or two. Minimizes the frequency of visits to the hospital and frees up the time frame for the treatment schedule from the already busy schedules of the patients.

How Does It Work?
Typically, SBRT is delivered with five specific sessions that last for 20–30 minutes. It’s not entirely different from exposing a person to X-ray but one thing set it apart: its precision. It is impossible for an ideal SBRT treatment to function without precision. For accurate delivery of the radiation on the prostate, clinicians would embed tiny metal pellets called fiducials in the prostate gland before the radiation starts. These tiny markers follow the trajectory of the radiation beams and guide them directly onto the target tumor without hitting the healthy tissue around it at all.
During the procedure, the patient normally remains quite still as the radiation delivery machine rotates around his body to deliver the focused beams to the prostate. This kind of treatment is often given without any other reactions by the patient and has fewer visits compared with other traditions.
What Do the Studies Show?
Comparatively recent research included 874 men with localized prostate cancer (a tumor confined within the prostate). The study looked at successful SBRT results and compared them with those considered conventional radiotherapy. The men were 65-74 years of age and were divided into two groups:
Treatment Group – This consisted of 433 men treated with SBRT; their treatment comprised of a five-visit schedule usually done within a week to two and half weeks.
Control Group – This consisted of 441 men who had been treated conventionally. Usually, conventional radiation generally takes place over four to 7.5 weeks.
Follow-up lasted an average of 74 months in this study. That would equate to about six years. In that long term follow-up, it was found to have comparable results. Within a total of 95.8%, just one patient eventually suffered progress in prostate cancer among those treated with PMS, while it was at 94.6% for the other group. Results thus argue that short-course SBRT is effective as monotreatment in local control in prostate cancer as the longer, conventional treatment methods.
A Minor Note
Even if there are indeed encouraging promises in the report, it is worth mentioning that there are only some initial doubts. Namely, men who took SBRT experienced higher rates of genitourinary toxicities during the first two years of the study. Such toxicities include pain and frequency when passing urine, but at times can translate into incontinence. Nonetheless, the study found that these differences nullified by year five in terms of side effects from SBRT and fractionated RT.
In view of fewer significant side effects experienced by patients treated with SBRT by use of CyberKnife technology as opposed to other means, it is likely that this technology may vary in inducing side effects, and it is an issue for the oncologist to discuss with his or her patient on what are the best treatment options.
Who Is Suitable for SBRT?
SBRT comes with a lot of potential, however, it might not suit every patient. In a situation where a patient has other existing problems associated with their urinary tract, they are more likely to get adverse reactions from the therapy in the long run, and so might not be the best candidate for SBRT. This is within the reasons to rigorously scrutinize the patients.
Exercise patient selection, because it will make all the difference in weighing up whether or not SBRT beats plain radiation therapy. Consider, for instance, a patient’s overall health as well as the degree of prostate cancer he or she has in addition to any existing illnesses.
Pros of SBRT for Patients
The biggest plus point of SBRT is the short duration of treatment. The entire radiation course could be delivered as quickly as being one week, thus providing a real convenience for people who have to travel long distances to the nearest radiation treatment center as well as those simply wanting to have their daily routine minimally disturbed. SBRT’s short treatment time will make a programme more manageable to a patient and has been generally observed by patients to lead to enhanced fulfilment from their cancer care.
The Future of Prostate Cancer Treatment
As SBRT starts to become an accepted standard of care, its use is likely to continue until future. In this regard, authorities such as Dr. Marc Garnick, the Gorman Brothers Professor at Harvard Medical School, and the editor of the Harvard Medical School Guide to Prostate Disease, highlight the fact that the evidence is quite clear-SBRT offers “gorgeous” outcomes for many of these patients and has been well accepted by the medical community.
Dr. Nima Aghdam has been confirmed in the role of an awesome radiation oncologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre and feels that she had no doubts whatsoever in accepting SBRT as a permanent course of treatment for several prostate cancer patients.” Shorter treatment regimens require the precision and quality assurance qualities when all these single sessions of radiation are to be delivered.
Final Thoughts
SBRT is transforming prostate cancer treatment and providing patients with an option which is proving to be more effective than the longer conventional RT. The advantages like a shorter course of treatment, fewer visits to the clinic, and similarly good long-term results make this option very attractive to many patients. Yes, cancer treatment requires individualization and options need to be thoroughly taken into account, just like an individual’s individual health needs and circumstances need to be weighed in. If you or others one knows are facing prostate cancer, think about SBRT as an option for your oncologist to discuss in treating these conditions.