Frequently Asked Questions
How does SABR differ from conventional radiation therapy for prostate cancer?
- Duration: Treatment takes only 5 sessions instead of up to 45 sessions.
- Margins: The prescription dose of radiation is distributed more tightly around the prostate gland.
- Setup: Patients are positioned in a more intricate manner.
- Preparation: Patients have a more rigorous bowel and bladder preparation prior to each session.
How long has SABR been used for prostate cancer?
SABR has been used to treat prostate cancer since 2003. Since this time the technique has been continually refined since this time based upon published data of both safety and efficacy.
How effective is prostate SABR?
Published data from multiple centers throughout the world have demonstrated SABR to be at least as effective as conventional 45-day treatment. For more detailed review of the data supporting prostate SABR, please see references below.
Is prostate SABR safe?
Yes. There is a substantial body of peer-reviewed data demonstrating that the safety of prostate SABR is at least equivalent, if not superior, to that of conventional radiation therapy. For more detailed review of the data supporting prostate SABR, please see references below.
Why isn’t prostate SABR available at more radiation centers?
Safe and effective delivery of prostate SABR requires state-of-the-art linear accelerator technology, intensive medical physics support, and specialized physician expertise. Few community-based centers at present have this combination of attributes.
Is it feasible to be treated with SABR if I live outside of central Florida?
Yes. Special arrangements to facilitate the consultation, treatment planning, and treatment delivery process to meet out-of-town patients’ needs can be made as needed.
References
Kupelian P, Mehta NH, King C, et al. Stereotactic body radiation therapy for prostate cancer: Rational and reasonable. Pract Radiat Oncol 2015;5:188-192.
Evans JR, Zhao S, Daignault S, et al. Patient-reported quality of life after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and brachytherapy. Radiother Oncol 2015;116: 179-184.
Bhattasali O, Chen LN, Woo J, et al. Patient-reported outcomes following stereotactic body radiation therapy for clinically localized prostate cancer. Radiat Oncol 2014;9:52.
King CR, Freeman D, Kaplan I, et al. Stereotactic body radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer: Pooled analysis from a multiinstitutional consortium of prospective phase II trials. Radiother Oncol 2013;109:217-221.
Meier R. Dose-escalated robotic SBRT for stage I-II prostate cancer. Front Oncol 2015;5:48.
Katz AJ, Santoro M, Diblasio F, et al. Stereotactic body radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer: Disease control and quality of life at 6 years. Radiat Oncol 2013;8:118.
King CR, Brooks JD, Gill H, Presti Jr JC. Long-term outcomes from a prospective trial of stereotactic body radiotherapy for low-risk prostate cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012;82:877-882.
Oliai C, Lanciano R, Sprandio B, et al. Stereotactic body radiation therapy for the primary treatment of localized prostate cancer. J Radiat Oncol. 2013;2:63-70.
McBride SM, Wong DS, Dombrowski JJ, et al. Hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy in low-risk prostate adenocarcinoma: Preliminary results of a multi-institutional phase 1 feasibility trial. Cancer. 2012;118:3681-3690.
Boike TP, Lotan Y, Cho LC, et al. Phase I dose-escalation study of stereotactic body radiation therapy for low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29:2020-2026.
Kang JK, Cho CK, Choi CW, et al. Image-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer. Tumori. 2011;97:43-48.
Freeman DE, King CR. Stereotactic body radiotherapy for low-risk prostate cancer: Five-year outcomes. Radiat Oncol. 2011;6:3.
Bolzicco G, Favretto MS, Scremin E, Tambone C, Tasca A, Guglielmi R. Image-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy for clinically localized prostate cancer: Preliminary clinical results. Technol Cancer Res Treat. 2010;9:473-477.
Katz AJ, Santoro M, Ashley R, Diblasio F, Witten M. Stereotactic body radiotherapy for organ-confined prostate cancer. BMC Urol. 2010;10:1.
Friedland JL, Freeman DE, Masterson-McGary ME, Spellberg DM. Stereotactic body radiotherapy: An emerging treatment approach for localized prostate cancer. Technol Cancer Res Treat. 2009;8:387-392.