The first reported used of x-ray therapy to treat prostate cancer, which claimed to have an excellent result is done by Imbert and Imbert in 1904. The investigation of x-ray radiation for patient therapy continued until it is adapted into clinical routine in the early 1920s (1). Progress in this area has been published by numerous scientists worldwide and served as the turning point for the development of new techniques and modalities.

Current Imaging Techniques
1. Ultrasonography

Contrast-enhanced Gray-scaleTransrectal Ultrasound-guided Prostate Biopsy in Men with Elevated Serum Prostate-specific Antigen Levels by Yang et al, 2008

Transrectal Ultrasonography of (TRUS) of the Prostate by Shetty et al, 2008

2. Computed Tomography

Adaptive radiotherapy for prostate cancer using kilovoltage cone-beam computed tomography: First clinical results by Nijkamp et al, 2008

Examining Margin Reduction and Its Impact on Dose Distribution for Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Daily Cone-Beam Computed Tomography by Hammoud et al, 2008

3. Magnetic resonance imaging

How Good is MRI at Detecting and Characterising Cancer within the Prostate? by Kirkham et al, 2006

Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI for Preoperative Identification of Localised Prostate Cancer by Villers et al, 2007

Emerging Imaging Techniques
4. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy in Prostate Cancer by Dayan Loria, 2009

Combined Magnetic Resonane Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Imaging in the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis by Umbehr et al, 2008

5. Hypoxia imaging

Hypoxia in prostate cancer: A powerful shield against tumour destruction? by Marignol et al, 2008   

An immunohistochemical assessment of hypoxia in prostate carcinoma using pimonidazole: Implications for radioresistance by Carnell et al, 2006

6. Positron emission tomography

Positron emission tomography with c11-acetate for tumor detection and localization in patients with prostate-specific antigen relapse after radical prostatectomy by Sandbloom et al, 2006

PET and Radiation Therapy Planning and Delivery for Prostate Cancer by Vapila et al, 2009

7. Positron emission tomography/Compuerized Tomography

¹¹C-Choline Positron Emission Tomography/Computerized Tomography for Tumor Localization of Primary Prostate Cancer in Comparison With 12-Core Biopsy by Schiavina et al, 2006

[¹¹C]Choline positron emission tomography/computed tomography for staging and restaging of patients with advanced prostate cancer by Tunce et al, 2008

8. Lymphtropic nanoparticle MRI

Regional Lymph Node Staging using Lymphotropic Nanoparticle Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Ferumoxtran-10 in Patients with Penile Cancer by Tabatabaei et al, 2005

Lymphotropic nanoparticle-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (LNMRI) identifies occult lymph node metastases in prostate cancer patients prior to salvage radiation therapy by Ross et al, 2009

9. Sentinel node detection

Detection of Pelvic Lymph Node Metastases in Patients With Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer: Comparison of [¹⁸F]Fluorocholine Positron Emission Tomography-Computerized Tomography and Laparoscopic Radioisotope Guided Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection by Hacke 2006

Radioisotope guided sentinel lymph node dissection in patients with localized prostate cancer: Results of the first 100 cases by Bastide 2008

10. Real-Time elastography

Evaluation of Prostate Cancer Detection with Ultrasound Real-Time Elastography: A Comparison with Step Section Pathological Analysis after Radical Prostatectomy by Salamon et al, 2008

Real-time elastography in the diagnosis of prostate tumor by Ferrari et al, 2009

External Beam Radiation Therapy

1. Conventional radiotherapy

2. Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy

Acute urinary morbidity during 3D conformal radiotherapy for localised prostate cancer by Burden et al, 2009

3-D conformal radiotherapy of localized prostate cancer: A subgroup analysis of rectoscopic findings prior to radiotherapy and acute/late rectal side effects by Goldner et al, 2005

3. Intensity modulated radiotherapy

Is IMRT needed to spare the rectum when pelvic lymph nodes are part of the initial treatment volume for prostate cancer? by Sanguineti et al, 2006

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer: Late morbidity and results on biochemical control by Meerlee et al, 2006

4. Brachytherapy
     • High-Dose rate brachytherapy

Genitourinary Toxicity After High-Dose-Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy Combined With Hypofractionated External Beam Radiotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: An Analysis to Determine the Correlation Between Dose–Volume Histogram Parameters in HDR Brachytherapy and Severity of Toxicity by Ishiyama et al, 2009

An Eight-Year Experience of HDR Brachytherapy Boost for Localized Prostate Cancer: Biopsy and PSA Outcome  by Bachand et al, 2009

     • Low-dose rate brachytherapy

Does a Delay in Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy After Tissue Diagnosis Affect Outcome for Men with Low Risk Prostate Cancer? by Andrews et al, 2005

Comparison of 7-Year Outcomes Between LDR Brachytherapy and High Dose IMRT for Patients With Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer by Zelefsky et al, 2007

5. Proton therapy

Radionuclide Treatment in Metastasized Prostate Cancer
Strontium-89
Rhenium-186
Rhenium-188
Samarium-153

References:

1. Sriprasad S, Fenely M, Thompson P. History of prostate cancer treatment. Surgical
Oncology (2009), doi:10.1016/j.suronc.2009.07.001
2. Moyers M, Pouliot J. POINT/COUNTERPOINT:Proton therapy is the best radiation
treatment modality for prostate cancer. Med. Phys. 34(2), February 2007,
doi:10.1118/1.2405703
3. John S, Zietman A, Shipley W, et al. Newer imaging modalities to assist with target
localization in the radiation treatment of prostate cancer and possible lymph node
metastases. Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys., Vol. 71, No. 1, Supplement, pp. S43-47,
2008.
4. Mangar S, Huddart R, Parker C, et al. Technological advances in radiotherapy for treatment
of localized prostate cancer. European Journal of Cancer 41 (2005) 908-921.
5. Van der Poel H. Radionuclide treatment in metastasized prostate cancer. European
Association of Urology – European Board of Urology update series 5 (2007) 113-125.

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Updated August 27, 2009