Imaging Technology May Make Radiation Safer for Prostate Cancer Patients
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 25, 2023 -- A technique that uses imaging technology as a guide can make radiation therapy safer for patients undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, a new research review finds.
The technology enables clinicians to accurately aim the radiation beams at the prostate, while avoiding bladder, urethra and rectal tissue. This, in turn, reduces short-term side effects for patients, according to researchers who analyzed 29 published studies. They reported their findings online July 24 in the journal Cancer.
The technique is called magnetic resonance-guided daily adaptive stereotactic body radiotherapy (MRg-A-SBRT).
Reviewing studies involving more than 2,500 patients in all, the researchers found that MRg-A-SBRT was associated with a 44% reduction in urinary side effects and a 60% reduction in bowel side effects.
“The study is the first to directly evaluate the benefits of MR-guided adaptive prostate radiation in comparison to another more standard and conventional form of radiation, and it provides support for use of this treatment in the management of prostate cancer,” study co-author Dr. Jonathan Leeman said in a journal news release. He's a radiation oncologist with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Using this method, doctors can adjust a patient’s radiation plan every day in response to anatomical changes. They can also monitor the position of the prostate in real time while the radiation beam is on.
Although it was becoming more popular, it was unclear whether the technique had an impact on clinical outcomes and side effects compared with other ways of delivering radiation.
Whether the short-term benefits will lead to long-term benefits will require longer follow-up, Leeman said.
It’s also not clear which aspect of the technology is responsible for the improved outcomes.
“It could potentially be the capability for imaging-based monitoring during the treatment or it could be related to the adaptive planning component. Further studies will be needed to disentangle this,” Leeman said.
Sources
- Cancer, news release, July 24, 2023
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2023
Read this next
In Experiments, Mice Got ill From Raw Milk Carrying Bird Flu Virus
FRIDAY, May 24, 2024 -- Confirming the dangers of drinking raw cow's milk when the H5N1 avian flu virus is circulating in U.S. dairy herds, researchers found that mice fed the...
FDA Panel Gives Nod to Blood Test for Colon Cancer
FRIDAY, May 24, 2024 -- A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday recommended the approval of a new blood test that can spot colon cancer. The panel voted...
New Steps Towards a Male Birth Control Pill
FRIDAY, May 24, 2024 -- For decades, the responsibility for birth control has fallen largely on women, but new research suggests a birth control pill for men might one day become...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.