Fractionation and protraction for radiotherapy of prostate carcinoma

Abstract

High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy would be a highly appropriate modality for treating prostate cancer. Appropriately designed HDR brachytherapy regimens would be expected to be as efficacious as low dose rate, but with added advantages of logistic convenience and more reliable dose distributions. Similarly, external beam treatments for prostate cancer can be designed using larger doses per fraction; appropriately designed hypofractionation schemes would be expected to maintain current levels of tumor control and late sequelae, but with reduced acute morbidity, together with the logistic and financial advantages of fewer numbers of fractions.