If you are at the beginning of your prostate cancer journey, or somewhere in the middle of dealing with a recurrence, you should consider radiation as a treatment option.
Who is the best candidate when it comes to radiation for prostate cancer?
“Anyone with prostate cancer,” radiation oncologist Phuoc Tran, M.D., Ph.D. says. “No matter what his diagnosis.”
That means older men, younger men, those with early-or-late-stage prostate cancers could benefit from radiation.
The top cancer experts in Miami at the CyberKnife Center of Miami – the state-of-the art cancer treatment center in South Florida dedicated to helping treat prostate and other cancers – want you to understand why radiation could be the right choice for you and why radiation with CyberKnife might be your best option.
“More than 30 years of mounting research is proving CyberKnife to be the gold standard for treating prostate cancer, and as more men learn about CyberKnife, it is becoming the number one treatment of choice,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director of CyberKnife Miami.
Facts about Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the cure rate for prostate cancer using radiation is excellent, and there is a proven safety track record.
In fact, more than 60,000 American men choose radiation therapy to treat prostate cancer each year.
Radiation requires no anesthesia or cutting – making it an especially appealing option for early-stage prostate cancers, older men, those with a complicated medical history or those who want little or no downtime while being treated for prostate cancer.
Facts about CyberKnife Therapy for Prostate Cancer
CyberKnife – a cutting-edge radiation technology also known as stereotactic body radiation therapy or SBRT — has some advantages over other types of radiation.
“CyberKnife technology delivers very precise doses of radiation directly to the tumor site and it stays right on its target, even if the patient moves, the robotic arm moves with the patient. That in turn greatly reduces the risk of causing damage to nearby healthy tissue and organs, which results in less risk of side effects,” explains Dr. Mark Pomper in a YouTube video.
That means fewer temporary or long-lasting side effects, a lower risk of toxicity than with traditional radiation, a reduced risk of impotence and a lower chance of urinary incontinence.
Sexual function also remains about the same for most patients after treatment.
CyberKnife for Early-Stage Prostate Cancer
CyberKnife alone can treat prostate cancer, especially if it’s low grade and localized to the prostate. For early prostate cancers, the success rate with CyberKnife is 98%, which is about the same as men treated with radical prostatectomy, which is surgery to remove the prostate gland, according to the American Cancer Society.
And nowadays 84% of prostate cancers are found in the early stages because of screening guidelines and screening tools. That means many of these men could benefit from CyberKnife treatment.
Plus, instead of having weeks of daily treatments with traditional radiation, CyberKnife treatments are done in five treatments over 10 days.
CyberKnife for Later-Stage Prostate Cancer
As prostate cancer progresses combination treatment can be an option – for instance CyberKnife along with hormone therapy. This combination kills the cancer and stops it from spreading.
“Clinical trials show a benefit in patients who receive hormonal treatment in combination with external beam radiation,” states the Prostate Cancer Foundation website.
CyberKnife for Recurrent or Metastatic Prostate Cancer
According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, regardless of treatment with surgery or radiation, prostate cancer will recur in between one-quarter and one-third of men.
“CyberKnife radiation therapy is an excellent tool to treat recurrent prostate cancer or cancer of any kind,” says Dr. Pomper.
Prostate cancer recurrence is treatable and may even be curable with CyberKnife, and survival rates remain high. At least 94% of patients live at least 15 years after their original diagnosis.
And according to CyberKnife Miami, men who continue to battle prostate cancer can manage the disease and its symptoms with CyberKnife. For these men, prostate cancer becomes akin to managing chronic diseases like diabetes or heart disease.
CyberKnife can be particularly helpful to treat bone pain associated with metastatic prostate cancer, and it can even be used in conjunction with hormone treatment and even after surgery.
CyberKnife When Hormone Therapy Stops Working
Some men opt for hormone therapy to slow the progression of the disease. But those treatments may stop working. When that happens, CyberKnife could be an option.
According to one important case study from November of 2020, a 69-year-old man with urethral metastasis of CRPC (hormone-resistant prostate cancer that spread to the urethra) had CyberKnife treatment with no adverse effects.
“There has been no recurrence for 50 months. To the best of our knowledge, there is no case of urethral metastasis of the CRPC successfully controlled with CyberKnife radiosurgery in the literature before this particular case.” according to the abstract. Dr. Pomper adds, “This case confirms why CyberKnife should always be considered as a treatment option when treating prostate cancer and metastatic prostate cancer.”
CyberKnife Treatment in South Florida
At the CyberKnife Center of Miami, we have successfully treated hundreds of prostate cancer patients from across the world, the country and right here in South Florida with excellent results. We treat everything from early-stage prostate cancers to the toughest cases.
Our goal is to partner with you through your treatment journey and make sure you are as educated as possible about your treatment options.
In addition, we will make this difficult process as easy as possible for you. It can be very daunting and that’s why we help you every step of the way. Whether that is helping you get the scans you need, get into see certain doctors, blood work, dealing with your insurance company, or even travel plans, transportation and hotel accommodations if needed.
We know how hard dealing with cancer can be, not just emotionally, but logistically. Our entire team is very compassionate, and we put patients first. We know how important it is to get someone on the phone when you call, and to return your calls as soon as possible. We take the time you need to answer all your questions, so you know exactly what to expect. As much as possible, we take the fear out of cancer treatment by holding your hand, and your family’s too every step of the way. We’ll help you get treated as effectively, easily, and quickly as possible so you can get back to your life and cancer behind you. We’re here for you before, during and yes, even after treatment. Should you have any questions after treatment or are dealing with any side effects we encourage you to call our team right away. We can advise you on what to do and take if you have any side effects. Most often over the counter medications can ease any discomfort.
If you are considering or would like to find out more about prostate cancer treatment with CyberKnife, or even just want a second opinion, call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our prostate cancer website.