CyberKnife Radiosurgery for Localized Prostatic Carcinoma

Brachytherapy is a form of treatment where a radioactive isotope is implanted directly into a tumor volume to deliver a lethal dose of radiation. High Dose Rate (HDR) Prostate brachytherapy is a particularly elegant brachytherapy dose sculpting method that is effectively used in the curative treatment of prostate cancer; however, it requires hospital admission and many temporarily implanted transperineal catheters to deliver the radiation source to the target volume, resulting in significant patient discomfort. CyberKnife delivers a form of radiation treatment that is so precise, it appears capable of reconstructing HDR prostate radiation dose sculpting, without the hospital admission and without the catheters. The CyberKnife device is also used for classic radiosurgery, with accuracy comparable to the Gamma Knife, but unlike the Gamma Knife, has the capability to target lesions anywhere in the body with similar accuracy. The aim of this study is to compare CyberKnife morbidity and efficacy with that of HDR and other local treatment methods such a permanent seed prostate brachytherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer.