Improving care for patients with prostate cancer

James Wheeler, MD, PhD, of Goshen Center for Cancer Care presented the findings of a research study he completed with seven of his Colleagues at the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) conference March 10.
 
The study, entitled “Initial Experience of Adaptive Radiation Therapy for Patients with Early Stage Prostate Cancer Treated on the Ethos Unit” demonstrated the advantages of adaptive radiation therapy, a medical technology that can adjust the targeting of radiation quickly on each patient visit. This is especially important when radiation is directed to tumors in the prostate, which lies in close proximity to the small bowel, bladder and rectum – organs which change daily.
 
The study included the first 19 patients who were treated with this form of external beam radiation therapy. Adaptive planning provided significantly better coverage of the prostate, seminal vesicles and planning target volume compared to standard image guided radiation therapy.
 
“What this means is that since we can image patients with a low dose CT scan and adjust their treatment plan quickly on a daily basis while they lie on the treatment table, we can more precisely treat their cancer,” said Dr. Wheeler.
 
“We’re proud of Dr. Wheeler and this team’s work – especially in helping compare traditional treatments with our new Ethos Unit. At any given time, our cancer specialists are involved in dozens of research projects, helping to advance the knowledge and practice of treating patients with cancer,” said Leonard Henry, MD, MBA, FACS, Medical Director for Goshen Center for Cancer Care.
 
The other medical professionals who participated in this study are John Lowden; Fang Liu, PhD; Houman Vaghefi, MD, PhD; Irina Sparks, MD; Samantha Korda; Adam Moore; and Brayton Yoder.