North Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) offers a diverse range of radiation therapies designed to treat prostate cancer. Our team of expert cancer doctors combined with advanced state-of-the-art equipment, allows NGMC to provide our patients with the highest standard of care. With multiple locations across North Georgia, our cancer centers allow patients to access expert cancer care close to home.
When is radiation therapy recommended for prostate cancer?
Radiation therapy plays a critical role in the management of prostate cancer by destroying cancer cells and minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. By tailoring radiation therapy to your specific needs, our cancer doctors can provide personalized treatment including:
- Primary Treatment – Radiation therapy can be used as a primary treatment option for localized prostate cancer. Radiation therapy and surgery are both considered excellent curative treatments for prostate cancer confined to the prostate gland.
- Combination Therapy – In many cases, radiation therapy is combined with other treatments such as hormone therapy, to improve its effectiveness.
- Post-Surgical Recurrence – After prostate removal surgery, there is a risk of cancer recurrence. If cancer reappears, radiation therapy can be used to eradicate remaining cancer cells.
- Palliative Treatment – In advanced stages of prostate cancer, when the disease has spread to other parts of the body, radiation therapy can be used to alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life.
Types of Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
External beam radiation (EBRT)
External beam radiation therapy is the most common form of radiation therapy used for primary treatment. It involves delivering precise doses of x-rays to the prostate gland from outside the body, typically over several weeks. EBRT can be delivered using different techniques, including:
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
- Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)
- Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)
Each technique uses different methods to deliver radiation to the prostate gland while minimizing the radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissues. Treatments are typically delivered daily over 5-8 weeks, or sometimes only 5 treatments over 3 weeks (SBRT). Your oncologist will help you select the best treatment for your cancer.
External beam radiation is aided by daily image guidance to accurately identify the prostate and surrounding tissue prior to each treatment. Image guided therapy is typically in the form of CT scan (called a cone-beam CT) that is taken each day prior to treatment to ensure accurate targeting. Prostate markers (fiducials) or a gel spacing device (such as SpaceOARTM) may be used to help guide the treatment and reduce radiation to the rectum.
You are not radioactive during or after receiving external beam radiation therapy. There are no restrictions on being around other people, including pregnant women and children or pets. If you have additional questions, the cancer care team at NGMC is available to help you, offering personal support throughout your cancer journey.
Brachytherapy
During brachytherapy, which is also known as internal radiation therapy treatment, radioactive materials are implanted directly into the prostate gland either temporarily or permanently during a minimally invasive surgical procedure. This technique delivers a high dose of radiation to the cancer cells in the prostate, while greatly minimizing the dose to surrounding tissues such as the bladder and rectum.
There are two types of prostate brachytherapy:
- High-Dose Rate Brachytherapy (HDR) – During HDR brachytherapy, a radioactive material is placed into catheters implanted into the prostate for a short period, typically 15-20 minutes. The catheters are then removed so there are no radioactive materials left inside the patient.
- Low-Dose Rate Brachytherapy (LDR) – LDR brachytherapy involves permanent implantation of radioactive seeds into the prostate. The seeds slowly release radiation over the span of several months.
Brachytherapy can be used alone to treat low or intermediate risk prostate cancer or combined with external beam radiation for high-risk prostate cancer. HDR brachytherapy offers advantages over other radiation therapy treatment techniques for prostate cancer, including:
- Preservation of organ structure and function with fewer side-effects
- Excellent coverage of microscopic extension of cancer
- Accurate and precise tumor-specific radiation dose delivery
- No radiation source (seed) migration into other organs
- No radiation exposure to other people
Contact Us
If you or a loved one is needing radiation treatment for prostate cancer, physicians at NGMC can help. Call 770-219-8815 and speak with a member of our care team to learn more about our available cancer services.