May 9, 2016 - A five–year study shows that Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) to treat prostate cancer offers a higher cure rate than more traditional approaches, according to researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The study – the first trial to publish five–year results from SBRT treatment for prostate cancer – found a 98.6 percent cure rate with SBRT, a noninvasive form of radiation treatment that involves high–dose radiation beams entering the body through various angles and intersecting at the desired target. It is a state–of–the–art technology that allows for a concentrated dose to reach the tumor while limiting the radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissue. “The high cure rate is striking when compared to the reported five–year cure rates from other approaches like surgery or conventional radiation, which range between 80 to 90 percent, while the side effects of this treatment are comparable to other types of treatment,” said Dr. Raquibul Hannan, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology and lead author for the study. “What we now have is a more potent and effective form of completely noninvasive treatment for prostate cancer, conveniently completed in five treatments.”

Legend: SBRT (stereotactic body radiotherapy) treatment plan shown with the axial, sagittal and coronal views. Courtesy of SBRT for Prostate Cancer. UCLA. http://radonc.ucla.edu/prostate-cancer-sbrt