Prostate Cancer: Prostate Dose Escalation
One treatment technique for prostate cancer is prostate dose escalation. This method allows patients to receive higher doses of radiation than traditional methods, which often results in a better biochemical disease-free survival rate. In fact, studies at Fox Chase Cancer Center have produced a remarkable increase in positive patient outcomes using the treatment. The center's patients with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels between 10 and 19.9 ng/ml have had their biochemical disease-free rate survival rate increase from 15 to 85 percent. That's why patients at Thompson Cancer Survival Center have been receiving 3-D treatment planning and prostate dose escalation since 1996. Since first using dose escalation, radiation oncologists have seen patient complications decrease, even though prescribed radiation doses have doubled. Since 1999, Thompson has provided even higher dose escalations thanks to Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and daily CT-based Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT). IGRT uses CT images taken on the treatment machine to measure and correct for any internal prostate motion. When combined with IMRT, this unique prostate treatment sculpts the radiation around the prostate while shielding nearby organs.		The prostate is shown in gray and the rectum in brown. Colorwash indicates the dose level. Plot of measured prostate motion for prostate patients treated at TCSC. Notice the daily changes in prostate position vary from 5 to 15 millimeters. Daily CT image of a Prostate Patient taken on the Tomotherapy treatment system.
Also See: Prostate Brachytherapy

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