Researchers are constantly working on new treatments aimed at prostate cancer. Among those are new targeted drugs, T-cell therapy, vaccines, targeted therapy drugs as well as new ultrasound and radiation technologies.
It’s work that needs to be done because according to an article in the Lancet from 2024, cases of prostate cancer are expected to double from 1.4 million in 2020 to 2.9 million in 2040.
New Treatments for Early-Stage Prostate Cancers
According to the American Cancer Society, researchers are studying whether ablative treatments could help with early-stage prostate cancers. These treatments generally involve using extreme heat or cold to destroy tumors. Examples include:
- Cryotherapy or using cold temperatures to essentially freeze and kill prostate cancer cells.
- High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) uses ultrasound to heat and destroy prostate cancer.
- Focal laser ablation (FLA) uses a laser fiber to heat and destroy prostate tumors
New Treatments for Metastatic Prostate Cancer
One of the latest treatments is called Pluvicto. It was recently FDA approved for some metastatic prostate cancer patients with hormone therapy resistance.
“It’s specifically for “prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in patients who have been treated with an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) therapy and are considered appropriate to delay taxane-based chemotherapy,” according to one article in PM Live.
Penny Vroman, a nuclear radiologist at UT Health San Antonio called the treatment a “gamechanger.”
“What’s unique about this therapy versus traditional chemotherapy that affects the whole body is that this is a targeted molecular therapy,” she said. “So, whereas chemotherapy kills both cancer cells and good cells throughout the entire body, which is why patients tend to have more side effects, this new treatment binds only to the prostate cancer cell and kills those prostate cancer cells,” Dr. Vroman said.
HIFU, radiofrequency ablation and cryotherapy are also being studied for prostate cancer that spread to the bones.
New Targeted Drugs for Prostate Cancers
There are also drugs being researched that alter the way cancer cells grow, divide and interact with other cells.
These drugs include PARP Inhibitors. They block an enzyme called PARP, which is a protein involved in DNA repair. Blocking this protein makes it easier to kill cancer cells. PARP Inhibitors can help men with late-stage castration-resistant cancer live longer.
Researchers are also studying monoclonal antibodies – man-made immune proteins — designed to help chemotherapy drugs work better in the case of prostate cancer.
PARP Inhibitors Combined with Radiation for Prostate Cancer
“According to an article in the Frontiers of Pharmacology found in the National Library of Medicine, there are studies that suggest that PARP inhibitors combined with radiation can “enhance the sensitivity of cancer cells to radiation, intensify DNA damage, and trigger cell death. Combining radiotherapy with PARP inhibitors in clinical trials has enhanced the response rate and progression-free survival of diverse cancer patients.”
However, the combination of PARP inhibitors and radiation for cancer is relatively new. While the data is encouraging more research is needed to see if the combination of the two therapies could increase long-term survival.
In the meantime, radiation for prostate cancer remains a gold standard of treatment. And radiation using CyberKnife is among the most advanced and successful treatments.
CyberKnife for Prostate Cancer
CyberKnife uses image-guided robotic technology to deliver targeted radiation called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) directly to the cancer or tumor without harming healthy tissue, for example.
“CyberKnife is the most sophisticated and refined way to treat most tumors,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director of CyberKnife Center of Miami, South Florida’s state-of-the art, free standing radiation treatment center on CyberKnife Miami’s YouTube Channel.
CyberKnife Treatment for Prostate Cancer in South Florida
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%, and CyberKnife treatment has lower risks of long-term side effects including incontinence or erectile disfunction when compared to traditional radiation and surgical options.
CyberKnife can also be used in combination with other treatments if necessary, during early stages or even as the disease progresses.
The CyberKnife Advantage
CyberKnife has some distinct advantages over other forms of radiation for prostate cancer, including CRPC. It can destroy prostate tumors while leaving the surrounding healthy tissue unharmed.
- It’s noninvasive.
- CyberKnife’s treatments can be done in five therapy sessions over 10 days instead of 42 over three months with other types of radiation treatments.
- CyberKnife can be a radiation treatment option even for patients who have had radiation in the past or in the event of a recurrence.
At the CyberKnife Center of Miami, we have successfully treated hundreds of prostate cancer patients from across the country and right here in South Florida with excellent results.
If you would like to find out more about prostate cancer treatment with CyberKnife, call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our prostate cancer website now.