Daily Prostate Positioning

Using a radiotherapeutic treatment of prostate cancer called “daily prostate positioning,” Cancer Treatment Group is seeing more and more successful outcomes.

Depending on rectal and bladder fullness, the prostate can move up to 1 cm in any direction between treatments.  The technology used by Cancer Treatment Group enables the physician to visualize the prostate gland before each daily treatment.  By knowing the exact location of the prostate before every treatment, higher radiation doses can be directly targeted, potentially resulting in higher cure rates.  The precision also allows for smaller treatment volumes, resulting in fewer short-term side effects and long-term complications.

How Daily Prostate Positioning Works

1. After the diagnosis of prostate cancer, the urologist will place three non-radioactive, pure gold seeds that measure 2 mm each into the prostate. They are placed using a procedure similar to a prostate biopsy.
2. Two weeks later, after the seeds have stabilized, the patient undergoes a CT scan that is used for planning.
3. The Cancer Treatment Group team works on the patient’s plan for two to three days.
4. Precision apertures are calculated by the planning software, and are created with the multi-leaf collimator.
5. While in the treatment position, the patient is imaged using the electronic portal vision, which gives an instant image of the gold marker seeds in the prostate.
6. The marker seed location is compared to the plan and adjustments are made.
7. The patient receives the treatment.
8. Steps 5 through 7 are repeated daily to ensure that the prostate is precisely treated.