PROSTATE CANCER

What to Expect

An effective, less disruptive treatment option

The Radixact^® System with the TomoTherapy technology maximizes radiation delivered to the target — while helping to minimize radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissues. The result is highly personalized treatment designed to significantly reduce the risk of the side effects that too often disrupt the lives of patients during and after treatment. Clinical studies support the use of the TomoTherapy technology in the treatment of prostate cancers and show evidence of excellent tumor control with minimal radiation delivered to surrounding healthy tissues.^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

NON-SURGICAL

Radixact treatment is an outpatient procedure that does not require incisions or general anesthesia. Most patients will not require hospitalization a long recovery period. Radixact treatment also eliminates the inconvenience and risk associated with radioactive seed implants.

FEWER CLINIC VISITS

Conventional radiation therapy typically requires patients to have treatment 5 days a week for 8 weeks. Clinicians using the Radixact System may choose to reduce this course of treatment due to the precise nature of delivery, significantly reducing the time you spend undergoing radiation treatments

REDUCED INCIDENCE OF SIDE EFFECTS

The Radixact System was designed to deliver precise and accurate radiation dose to the target which can help significantly reduce the risk of side effects such as sexual, urinary or bowel function.

A faster return to everyday life

With Radixact treatment, most patients can continue normal activity during and immediately following treatment — compared to the typical requirements to limit normal activity for several weeks with traditional surgery. Just as importantly, the Radixact System reduces the risk of common side effects, protecting quality of life both during and after treatment. In some circumstances, side effects may occur.

Your Radixact treatment process

INITIAL CONSULTATION

The Radixact System treatment process begins with a consultation with a radiation oncologist who will provide perspective on this as a treatment option specific to your condition. The physician will review your biopsy results, imaging and other medical conditions.

YOUR TEAM

Radixact treatment for prostate cancers involves a multi-disciplinary team approach, which may include several specialists:

Medical Oncologist
Urologist
Radiation Oncologist
Medical Physcist
Radiation Therapist
Medical Support Staff

IMPLANTING FIDUCIALS

Some tumors may require the placement of fiducials within the prostate. Fiducials are markers that show on x-ray to help the Radixact System pinpoint the tumor’s exact location. They are implanted in a short, minimally invasive outpatient procedure prior to treatment planning.

PREPARING FOR TREATMENT

Prior to Radixact treatment, you will undergo imaging scans so that your treatment team can determine the exact size, shape and location of your prostate tumor, as well as nearby anatomy.

TREATMENT PLAN

Following this preparatory visit, you could return for specific imaging for radiation therapy treatment planning. Using CT, MRI and/or PET scan data, your treatment team will determine the area to be targeted by radiation, the radiation dose, and identify critical structures — such as the rectum, bladder – where radiation should be minimized.

The medical physicist will then calculate a precision-optimized radiation delivery plan, leveraging the Radixact System’s sophisticated treatment planning algorithms to help deliver a safe and personalized treatment.

TREATMENT

Approximately one to two weeks after your treatment plan is finalized, you will begin treatment sessions. Treatment sessions are non-invasive outpatient procedures, and nothing will be required of you during treatment. No patient restraints. No anesthesia.

On each treatment day, you will be carefully positioned on the treatment couch. The Radixact System acts as both a CT scanner and treatment delivery machine. This unique combination enables doctors to take a CT scan immediately before each treatment. With that image, they can verify the position of the tumor and, if necessary, adjust your position to help make sure radiation is delivered with high precision.

Once the short imaging procedure is complete, treatment delivery will begin. As the Radixact patient couch moves you at a deliberate pace through the center of the gantry, radiation beamlets are delivered precisely to the treatment area from 360 degrees. If the Synchrony^® technology* is used to synchronize and adapt the beams to your breathing and tumor motion, you will undergo a short procedure between imaging and treatment delivery to create a breathing model that will help predict your breathing cycle.

You can expect your Radixact treatment to require daily sessions for 6-8 weeks. Because the Radixact System can deliver radiation continuously, without requiring interruptions to reposition, the entire treatment process typically lasts 10-20 minutes — including patient set-up time.

*The Synchrony technology is an optional upgrade available for purchase by hospitals.

POST-TREATMENT

Most patients can continue normal activity during and immediately following treatment. Most patients experience minimal side effects and can quickly return to their daily routines with little interruption to their normal activities during or following their treatment.

Your medical team will discuss all possible side effects prior to treatment and may prescribe medication to control any side effects, should they occur. You also should schedule and attend any follow-up appointments.

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References:

1 Di Muzio NG, Fodor A, Noris Chiorda B, et al. “Moderate Hypofractionation with Simultaneous Integrated Boost in Prostate Cancer: Long-term Results of a Phase I-II Study.” Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2016 Aug;28(8):490-500. doi: 10.1016/j.clon.2016.02.005.

2 Tomita N, Soga N, Ogura Y, et al. “High-dose radiotherapy with helical tomotherapy and long-term androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: 5-year outcomes.” J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2016 Jul;142(7):1609-19. doi: 10.1007/s00432-016-2173-9.

3 Yamazaki H, Masui K, Suzuki G, et al. “High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Monotherapy versus Image-Guided Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy with Helical Tomotherapy for Patients with Localized Prostate Cancer.” Cancers (Basel). 2018 Sep 10;10(9). pii: E322. doi: 1.

4 Macias VA, Barrera-Mellado I. “Ultra-hypofractionated radiation therapy for unfavourable intermediate-risk and high-risk prostate cancer is safe and effective: 5-year outcomes of a phase II trial.” BJU Int. 2019 Oct 15. doi: 10.1111/bju.14925.

5 Fodor A, Berardi G, Fiorino C, et al. “Toxicity and efficacy of salvage carbon 11-choline positron emission tomography/computed tomography-guided radiation therapy in patients with lymph node recurrence of prostate cancer.” BJU Int. 2017 Mar;119(3):406-413.

6 Saldi S, Bellavita R, Lancellotta V, et al. “Acute Toxicity Profiles of Hypofractionated Adjuvant and Salvage Radiation Therapy After Radical Prostatectomy: Results of a Prospective Study.” Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2019 Jan 1;103(1):105-111. doi: 10.10.