We offer the latest types of radiation treatments for men with prostate cancer. This includes therapies that involve higher doses of radiation, such as “external beam radiotherapy” and “brachytherapy.” Higher doses of radiation therapy have been shown to improve patients’ chances of being completely cured. Traditional lower dose treatments also are available.

This involves high doses of radiation given daily, usually over seven to nine weeks, and focuses radiation beams on the prostate. Specific types of external beam radiotherapy include:

• Volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) that delivers quick external beam treatments over a few minutes each weekday for several weeks. X-rays are done daily to make sure the target is accurate and that nearby normal tissue isn’t affected.
• Hypofractionated radiotherapy increases the radiation dose per day and is best for certain types of patients. Treatments usually last four to six weeks.
• MR Linac is cutting-edge technology that allows your doctor to track, and dose, your tumor in real time, greatly decreasing the amount of radiation to healthy tissue and organs. Learn more.

This type of treatment also involves high doses of radiation and treats the cancer by placing radioactive material directly into the prostate. Depending on your situation, brachytherapy may be used alone, combined with external beam radiotherapy, and/or hormone therapy. Radiation dose from brachytherapy can be delivered at different rates – both low-dose-rate (LDR) or high-dose-rate (HDR).

Temporary high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy - This is a new and highly effective type of brachytherapy treatment. Recent studies have shown that the HDR technique improves cure rates for prostate cancer while also sparing nearby normal tissue. A single small radioactive dose is placed in a narrow tube called a catheter. The catheter is then placed into the prostate by your radiation oncologist. You will be under anesthesia and will not feel pain. Special computer software controls where and for how long the radiation is delivered. This helps target the prostate cancer very precisely. The catheter is then removed. Once the treatment is complete, there is no radioactivity left in your body and there is no need for radiation safety precautions. You usually can go home shortly after the procedure, and you can continue your normal activities with few restrictions.

This treatment has been used for many years for some men with prostate cancer. Permanent small metal “seeds” are inserted directly into the prostate gland. The seeds are temporarily radioactive and send radiation to the prostate over several months. During the first two or three months after the implant, men are asked to limit close contact with children and pregnant women. After two to three months, the seeds lose their radioactivity and are then harmless.

Surgery is a common choice to try to cure prostate cancer if it hasn’t spread outside the prostate gland.

The main type of surgery for prostate cancer is called a radical prostatectomy. The surgeon removes the entire prostate gland plus some of the tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles, which create most of the fluid found in semen.

Chemotherapy is the use of medications to kill cancer cells. Different chemotherapy medications destroy cancer cells by a variety of different mechanisms. Many work on the DNA of a cell to prevent it from reproducing, while others deprive cancer cells of what they need to grow.

Hormones control the growth and activity of body cells. Most prostate cancers depend on testosterone, the major male hormone, to grow. Hormone therapy removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing. The testosterone levels can be reduced either by surgery (bilateral orchiectomy) or drugs.