October 15, 2015 – Englewood Hospital and Medical Center is among the only hospitals in Bergen County treating prostate cancer with the latest form of radiation therapy that significantly reduces the number of treatment visits and may eliminate uncomfortable side effects associated with traditional methods.
The therapy, called prostate stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), relies on beacons the size of rice seeds that are placed in the prostate, used to define the target area using 3D imaging technology. A machine then delivers the radiation treatment in conjunction with a special system that provides real-time position tracking during treatment so the beam remains aimed at the prostate tumor without harming nearby healthy tissues. Each treatment takes about 20 minutes and is noninvasive.
“SBRT is helping us to improve quality of life for our patients,” said Dr. David Dubin, chief of radiation oncology at Englewood Hospital. “What typically used to take 45 treatments over the course of up to nine weeks can now be done in just five treatments in one to two weeks using SBRT. Previously, patients faced a range of life-altering side effects that included frequent or painful urination and abdominal pain, and impotence. With SBRT, the results have been very promising, with mild fatigue as the primary side effect.”
“It’s like a GPS for the body,” Dr. Michael Speiser, chief physicist at Englewood Hospital, said of the tracking system. “Here at Englewood, we bring together advanced technologies and techniques that allow us to target cancer more effectively and precisely. These technical elements are meant to provide an additional level of safety to minimize side effects and uncertainty.”
For more information, please call 201-894-3125 for the Radiation Oncology Department at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.