High Dose Rate Prostate (HDR) Brachytherapy Dose Escalation to Dominant Intra-prostatic Nodule for Patients With Intermediate and High Risk Prostate Cancer

Detailed Summary

This study will investigate the feasibility of using technology of ultrasound guided HDR brachytherapy to focally increase dose to regions within the prostate that are heavily infiltrated with cancer. Such regions, referred to as dominant intraprostatic lesions (DIL) can be visualized using diffusion contrast enhanced MRI employing an endo-rectal coil. The magnetic resonance (MR) images can be fused with the planning transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) prior to the brachytherapy procedure to design a dose distribution that will encompass the malignant volume with higher than the prescription dose. By its nature, brachytherapy has subvolumes that receive (for example)125% of the prescription dose or 150% of the prescription dose. With TRUS-guided and TRUS-planned HDR these areas can be manipulated to coincide with the DIL. The limit of dose escalation has been reached at whole prostate external beam doses of 81-86 Gy and still failure rates for intermediate and high risk disease are unacceptable. There is much interest in focal dose escalation and TRUS-guided HDR brachytherapy is perfectly suited to achieving this.

Study Details

Timeline

Interventions