SBRT for Localized Prostate Cancer: Is it Ready for Take-Off?

Healthcare systems are often compared with the aviation industry. Progress in both is highly desired but must always be achieved with safety in mind. Everyone wants to get from point A to point B faster and more comfortably, but how much risk of uncertainty is one ready to accept to achieve that extra speed? Both industries also share the aspect of competition for customers. In the field of localized prostate cancer, patients have an ever-increasing choice of options: radical surgery (open vs laparoscopic vs robot-assisted), external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) (with photons or protons), brachytherapy (low-dose rate or high-dose rate), focal ablative therapies (irreversible electroporation therapy vs laser ablation vs ultrasound ablation vs vascular targeted photodynamic therapy vs cryotherapy), and —perhaps the most important option, especially for patients with low-risk prostate cancer—active surveillance.
Source: International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Clinical Investigation Source Type: research