A new study at The Davidoff Comprehensive Cancer Center is examining the impact of reducing the number of radiation treatments needed for prostate cancer patients — and the news looks good so far.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men worldwide. Each year, about 2,500 men in Israel are diagnosed with prostate cancer, with half of them diagnosed in an early stage of the disease. Overall, it is the fifth most common cause of death for men in the country.
Radiation is considered an effective way of treating the disease; it is now common for patients diagnosed at an early stage of the disease to undergo five treatments of targeted radiation therapy.
Since each radiation treatment entails detailed preparatory steps for the patient and the time and emotional commitment of traveling to the hospital to undergo therapy, reducing the number of treatments can be very beneficial.
The current ongoing study of limiting the care to just two treatments of radiotherapy was developed by Dr. Elisha Fredman, Director of Genitourinary Radiotherapy and Clinical Research in the cancer hospital’s Radiotherapy Department. The new protocol is based on a prior method called brachytherapy, a more invasive method of delivering high-dose radiation.
This prior method is known to treat prostate cancer very effectively in two sessions, but involves two surgical procedures during which a small radioactive particle is inserted into the prostate through catheters and needles.
Following its success, Dr. Fredman applied similar principles to develop a new way of giving non-invasive external radiation in a similar method to the standard five-treatment approach, but in just two treatments.
The goal of reducing the sessions of radiation from five to two is to make the experience of radiotherapy easier and more efficient for patients while shortening the waiting time for patients to begin their treatment and increasing the number of patients that can be treated. Reducing the number of sessions is also aimed at minimizing the long-term side effects of the treatment.
“Reducing the number of radiation treatments from five to two can significantly ease the physical and emotional toll on patients, making the treatment process more tolerable. Treating patients more efficiently also allows patients to start their treatment more quickly, benefiting everyone,” Dr. Fredman said.
Similar studies are underway in New York, London and Toronto. This is the first time the new treatment is being carried out in Israel, and Dr. Fredman’s study is expected to be the largest among them.
Thus far, more than 40 patients have participated in the study. The response to treatment thus far appears excellent, and no unusual side effects have been reported.
