[Mb-civic] CBC News - NEW TECHNOLOGY MAY BETTER TARGET PROSTATE CANCERS

Wed Jul 13 17:07:47 PDT 2005

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NEW TECHNOLOGY MAY BETTER TARGET PROSTATE CANCERS
WebPosted Wed Jul 13 16:29:51 2005

---Men who receive radiation therapy for prostate cancer could face fewer
risks and side-effects, say doctors who are testing a new Canadian
technology.

Developed in Montreal, the 3D imaging system merges CT scans and
ultrasounds to help oncologists gain a better idea of where to target
radiation.

"It enables us to see where the prostate is in three dimensions when the
patient comes for planning, and then pinpoint it again when the patient
comes for treatment," said Dr. Gerard Morton, a radiation oncologist at
Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences in Toronto.

The prostate moves from one day to the next while patients are treated
with radiation therapy. Traditional methods of targeting the prostate
don't account for these movements and changes in shape and volume, so
healthy tissue may be overtreated and some cancer may be missed,
Morton said.

If the radiation is off slightly over time, it can cause damage to
surrounding tissues and blood vessels, leading to side-effects such as
rectal bleeding and impotence.

Gary Wasserman was given the option of either surgery or radiation to
treat his aggressive type of prostate cancer.

"Once I'd decided after doing my research that radiation offered me the
best prognosis with the fewest side-effects, they asked me if I'd
participate in a clinical study, and I said yes," Wasserman recalled.

In Wasserman's case, the new technology revealed his prostate moved up to
12 millimetres in four weeks, a shift that shows up in different colours
to the technologist.

More studies are needed before researchers can say if the technology
saves lives. They are testing the idea that if the radiation beam is more
accurate then the prognosis will be better.

"One, we can decrease the long-term side-effects from the treatment,"
said Dr. Rob Rutledge of Cancer Care Nova Scotia. "And two, more
importantly, we can increase the dose so there's a better chance for cure
in the long run."

Health Canada could approve the three-dimensional imaging device as early
as next month. At least six other Canadian cancer centres are interested
in buying the technology, said its manufacturer.