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SEATTLE (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- When a prostate shifts during radiation treatment for prostate cancer, technicians run the risk of missing the tumor and radiating healthy tissue. Now, experts say new technology is making it easier to track the position and motion of a patient's prostate with GPS-like precision during treatment.
John Sylvester, M.D. of the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle says the way a prostate shifts during radiation treatment can make fighting prostate cancer a challenge. "From day to day, it can move different amounts, so weve always been stuck with treating more tissue than we want to treat, Dr. Sylvester says.
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Now, just as a GPS system tracks your location as you drive, the new Calypso System has the ability to track the prostate as it moves in real time during treatment. Experts say the new system helps keep radiation away from vital organs like the colon, rectum, and bladder, and prevents side effects like bleeding and incontinence.
Here's how the Calypso System works: First, three tiny elector-magnetic sensors are implanted in the prostate. During radiation treatment, the system tracks the sensors 60 times per second. If the prostate moves, the machine alerts technicians to turn it off until the prostate is back in place, ensuring the radiation beams will focus only on the target.
By treating less tissue, we can give a higher dose of radiation," Dr. Sylvester says. He also says studies have shown higher doses of radiation generally increase a patient's chances of beating prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer patient Robert Heinkel is enthusiastic about the new system because he believes it will keep him out of diapers and prevent him from going into an early retirement. It gave me a peace of mind that you cant believe, Heinkel says.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Mary Schotanus
Seattle Prostate Institute
Swedish Medical Center
(206) 215-2480
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