Radiotherapy in 5 days!

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User

Posted 24 Mar 2018 at 19:03

Hi Did anyone see the article in today's Daily Mail that there is a trial underway at The Royal Marsden to see if delivering a more powerful dose of Radiotherapy over just 5 days can be as effective as the more usual 20 or 37 day course.

The hope is that it will save the NHS millions of pounds and reduce side effects.

It sounds a bit dangerous to me as they plan to use MRI scanning to focus higher powered radiation to the core of the cancer rather than irradiating the entire prostate.

The skeptic in me thinks " will they be able to kill off all the cancer cells" and what about any rogue cells not showing up on the MRI being left to carry on multiplying?

User

Posted 24 Mar 2018 at 21:42

It must be only for localised cancer?

User

Posted 24 Mar 2018 at 23:07

The 5 day treatment must be Cyberknife, RT with simultaneous MRI/CT scan to check for movement of the internal organs and adjustment of the RT beam. With this accuracy they can give higher doses w/o damaging adjacent tissue.

Previously only available privately.

Member PaleRider did a good write up of his experience of this treatment.

User

Posted 08 Apr 2018 at 08:58

I am PSA12 Gleason 7(4+3) with one core near the periphery. I went down to Birmingham to discuss privately funding the use of Cyberknife and whilst the consultant was very kind and helpful he felt that as the chance of me having a positive margin was significant they would have to radiate outside the capsule to the same spread (5mm) as the IGIMRT that I would get in Manchester thereby negating the benefits of the machine. He also pointed out that the knife would be radiating at the same strength around the periphery as the core thereby probably causing worse side effects in half the time. The recommendation was to stick with the machines on offer which were more suited to my needs.

If the lesions are small and identifiable as well within the prostate and you are G7(3+4) or below then CB would be of benefit to you.

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