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Treatments  Full Course External Beam Radiation Combination Temporary Implants & External Beam Radiation Nerve-sparing Prostatectomy | Cryosurgery | Hormonal Therapy Full Course External Beam Radiation External beam radiation delivers radiation via a source outside the body, in this case through a linear accelerator. This complex machine uses electricity to produce high-energy X-rays, targeted and delivered to the tumor site. These X-rays deposit the prescribed dose of radiation deep within the body while sparing surrounding structures. Radiation is invisible, tasteless and odorless, and external beam radiation is a completely non-invasive technique. It works by damaging cancer cells and slowing their ability to grow and divide. Healthy cells can repair the effects of radiation fairly quickly while cancer cells have a hard time repairing. By delivering radiation over a pre-determined amount of time (approximately 6-8 weeks), we allow the healthy tissues to repair while repeatedly damaging the cancer cells. Image-guided Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) / Dynamic Arc MLC-IMRT Radiation In conformal radiation, a computer simulation produces a highly accurate image of the tumor and surrounding area in order to aim radiation beams directly at the tumor. The precise focus spares nearby healthy tissue from the beams. Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), a type of conformal radiation, aims very small beams of radiation at a tumor from different angles while varying the intensity of the radiation. Careful control of the shape and position of the beam bends the radiation dose around healthy tissue to hit cancerous cells. Our high-tech PET/CT scanner provides an extremely accurate 3-dimensional map of the tumorous area, allowing this method to be effective and precise. The IMRT treatment option may be selected over a radioactive seed implant or surgical prostatectomy for many reasons:
Full course external beam irradiation treatment allows the Radiation Oncologist to deliver a dose beyond the prostate gland to the seminal vesicles and/or side-walls surrounding the prostate gland. Combination Temporary Implants & External Beam Radiation “Smart Bomb” Implant Surgery / HDR Temporary Brachytherapy HDR temporary brachytherapy involves surgically implanting very tiny plastic catheters into the prostate gland and then giving a series of radiation treatments through these catheters. A computer-controlled machine pushes a highly radioactive seed into these catheters, one by one, carefully controlling the dose of radiation by monitoring how long each seed remains inside. This enables delivery of a higher dose to the tumor while ensuring the urine passage (urethra) and rectum receive lower doses. The catheters are then easily pulled out, leaving no radioactive materials inside the prostate gland. Patients who receive implant surgery are required to spend the day at the Cancer Center of Irvine. External Beam Radiation External beam radiation delivers radiation via a source outside the body, in this case through a linear accelerator. This complex machine uses electricity to produce high-energy X-rays, targeted and delivered to the tumor site. The X-rays deposit the prescribed dose of radiation deep within the body while sparing surrounding structures. External beam radiation is a completely non-invasive technique. It works by damaging cancer cells and slowing their ability to grow and divide. Healthy cells can repair the effects of radiation fairly quickly while cancer cells have a hard time repairing. By delivering radiation over a pre-determined amount of time (approximately 6-8 weeks), we allow the healthy tissues to repair while repeatedly damaging the cancer cells. Image-guided Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) / Dynamic Arc MLC-IMRT Radiation In conformal radiation, a type of external beam radiation, a computer simulation produces a highly accurate image of the tumor and surrounding area in order to aim radiation beams directly at the tumor. The precise focus spares nearby healthy tissue from the beams. Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) aims very small beams of radiation at a tumor from different angles while varying the intensity of the radiation. Carefully control of the shape and position of the beam bends the radiation dose around healthy tissue to hit cancerous cells. Our high-tech PET/CT scanner provides an extremely accurate 3-dimensional map of the tumorous area, allowing this method to be effective and precise. This is the most common operation, but not the most common treatment, for prostate cancer. The cancerous prostate is removed, without removing the cancer-free nerve bundles responsible for erections which lie on either side of the prostate gland. This treatment is now performed much less frequently than other treatments. Cryosurgery (Endocare Freezing) While the patient is under anesthesia, a needle is carefully inserted into his prostate gland through the perineum. Guided by ultrasound to ensure accurate placement and monitor the process, the needle produces sub-zero temperatures to freeze the prostate and tumor. Since prostate cells are stimulated by testosterone, a drop in this hormone can slow down the proliferation of cancerous prostate cells and shrink the prostate. Hormonal therapy is often used in accordance with other treatment methods. |
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