CONSIDERING RADIATION THERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER...GET THE FACTS

If you are considering radiation therapy for prostate cancer, including the highly marketed concept of radioactive seeds. Get the facts before making a decision.The fact is that radioactive seeds are nothing more than another form of radiation. It is not much different than External Beam Radiotherapy, Image guided Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) or Proton radiotherapy. With all forms of radiation comes the toxic side effects of radiation. Anyone considering radiation should look into High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) . There no radiation and no surgery. HIFU is truly totally non- invasive outpatient procedure. For further information, visit: www.hifumedicalexpert.com. If you want to get the facts on the secondary effects from radiation exposure in the treatment of prostate cancer, click on the link below and read the comments that follow.

Please see the recent article in Urology Times in the link below commenting on clinical outcomes of radiation therapy being similar to HIFU in treating prostate cancer.

http://digital.healthcaregroup.advanstar.com/nxtbooks/advanstar/ut_201008/index.php?startid=24


"Although this is another important article in the fast gaining popularity of HIFU as a treatment option for localized prostate cancer, and the efficacy in clinical outcomes. The fact is that as a slow growing cancer, it seems to respond to almost any type of treatment when it is diagnosed early and has favorable PSA and Gleason score. However, Radiation has additional toxic side effects that are not often discussed with the patients. Yet, it remains the most common form of treatment for prostate cancer. Mostly because of men's fear of undergoing surgery and the collateral damage associated with it. Even with radiation there is still high degree of side effects. These include erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence and high degree of irritable or "bother symptoms" (bladder and bowel). What is seldom mentioned is the increased risk of developing a secondary malignancy. Particularly bladder and rectal cancer, reported as high as 70 % greater than men treated with alternatives other than radiation. (1) Furthermore, a recent study from the CaPSURE (Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor) database has revealed that PSA recurrence after radiotherapy occurred in 63 % of men with 93 % being treated with Androgen deprivation therapy for salvage of PSA failure. (2) The alternative to Androgen deprivation is to treat radiation failures with Salvage HIFU and saving patients from being placed on hormone therapy. That in the end Androgen deprivation is only palliative and never curative."


References:

(1) Baxter NN, Tepper JE, Durham SB. et al, Increased risk of rectal cancer after radiation: a population-based study. Gastroenterology, 2005;128:819-824.

(2) Agarwal PK, Sadestsky N, Konety BR et al: and the CaPSURE group. Treatment failure after primary and salvage therapy for prostate cancer: Likelihood, patterns of care, and outcomes. Cancer 2008;112:307-14.




Acute Toxicity Predicts Late Injury After Prostate Radiotherapy -