Investigative Treatment Options

Chesapeake Urology remains on the leading edge of the latest treatments for prostate cancer. Some treatments are still investigational only, while other therapies are only offered as part of clinical trials. For more information about these investigational therapies, ask your physician.

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT)

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy, or SBRT, refers to the delivery of very high doses of radiation in one hour treatment sessions administered in up to five sessions over a two week period. It is sometimes referred to as the brand name "Cyberknife." For prostate cancer, SBRT, has had limited research studies to demonstrate whether or not it has similar, inferior, or superior side effects and results as compared with IG-IMRT and brachytherapy.

SBRT has not been endorsed as a standard treatment of care for prostate cancer. Chesapeake Urology does not currently recommend a treatment method that has not been established as a standard of care.

Proton Beam

Proton beam refers to a type of external beam radiation therapy which uses charged particles that can deposit their energy over a short distance. Proton beam is still in the investigational phase for the treatment of prostate cancer, and it is not clear whether or not this therapy will have similar, inferior or superior long-term results as compared to IG-IMRT or brachytherapy.

Focal Therapy

Focal therapy is another approach to the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Only the cancerous area of the prostate is ablated to eradicate the cancer rather than removing or ablating the entire prostate gland. This approach may cause fewer complications and side effects associated with the removal of the entire prostate gland. Because focal therapy only treats a part of the prostate, the possibility of microscopic prostate cancer cells remaining in the untreated prostate tissue exists.