Image-guided radiotherapy from Brainlab helps reduce risk to organs in SBRT study
Brainlab, a medical technology company headquartered in Munich, Germany, announced today that its ExTrac Image Guided Radiotherapy treatment was successful in shielding risk organs from toxicity as part of a study investigating the safety and efficacy of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in prostate cancer treatment.
The study, a joint effort from international cancer centers, delivered an elevated fractionation regime to two groups of prostate cancer patients on two separate time schedules. Each treatment strategy was designed to provide urethral sparing while boosting the remainder of the prostate gland to the desired dose. Patients were positioned and monitored with ExacTrac.
“Thanks to ExacTrac, the urethra, which is located in the middle of the target, was partially shielded in order to reduce the risk of urinary toxicity,” said lead author Raymond Miralbell, MD, of Geneva University Medical School, in a company press release. “Due to its speed, accuracy and reliability, ExacTrac is gaining increased popularity for prostate cancer treatment. Initial study results are positive, suggesting that SBRT is both an effective and safe treatment technique. We hope that more patients will benefit from it in the near future.”
While the early results suggest only showing mild urinary acute toxicities with complete resolution six weeks after the initial treatment, the researchers will continue to monitor treatment toxicities as the study enters its second phase over the next 18 months, with completion scheduled for 2025.
Read the full press release here.