Researchers have discovered that a technique known as magnetic resonance–guided daily adaptive stereotactic body radiotherapy (MRg-A-SBRT) can significantly enhance the safety of radiation therapy for patients with prostate cancer. By utilizing imaging technology as a guide, this approach enables clinicians to precisely target radiation beams at the prostate while minimizing exposure to nearby tissues in the bladder, urethra, and rectum. These findings emerged from a comprehensive analysis of all published clinical trials of MRg-A-SBRT, published in the peer-reviewed journal CANCER by Wiley online, which is affiliated with the American Cancer Society.
Jonathan E. Leeman, MD, along with his colleagues from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, conducted a thorough investigation into the effectiveness of MRg-A-SBRT for prostate cancer treatment. To accomplish this, they conducted a comprehensive search of medical literature for prospective studies that had tested MRg-A-SBRT. Combining data from 29 clinical trials involving a total of 2,547 patients, they compared the side effects of MRg-A-SBRT with a more conventional treatment method that utilized computed tomography guidance but did not involve daily adjustments as in MRg-A-SBRT.
The results of their analysis revealed that MRg-A-SBRT led to significantly fewer urinary and bowel side effects in the short term following radiation treatment. Specifically, there was a remarkable 44% reduction in urinary side effects and an impressive 60% reduction in bowel side effects.
