St. Jude Medical Center - Fall 2018 - 5

The Next Evolution
in Radiotherapy

Stereotactic
Body Radiation
Therapy

Short, convenient and highly effective

After listening to Leonard Farber, MD,
carefully outline the treatment options,
the 59-year-old patient didn't hesitate:
he wanted his mid-stage prostate cancer
gone quickly and with as little disruption
as possible to his busy life.
Instead of surgery or traditional
radiotherapy-typically requiring 45
sessions over two months-the patient
chose a leading-edge, high-dose radiation
therapy called stereotactic body radiation
therapy or SBRT.
Requiring just five sessions over one week,
the short-course, non-invasive treatment
for prostate cancer is available at only a
handful of medical centers in Southern
California-and is one of the radiotherapy
techniques in which Dr. Farber brings
extensive experience.
"SBRT is emerging as an exciting
treatment option that represents the
next evolution in radiotherapy," explains
Dr. Farber, a board-certified radiation

oncologist who left Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center in New York
to join the St. Jude Jordan Family
Radiation Oncology Center. "Advances in
technology are creating improvements in
accuracy, allowing us to take advantage of
the tumor's biology and its responsiveness
to more concentrated doses of radiation."

allows the radiation to be shaped to fit
and surround the prostate gland, sparing
much of the surrounding tissues and
organs from unnecessary exposure.

For men facing prostate cancer treatment,
SBRT is now bringing the same advantages
it has to other cancers: the convenience of
five treatment sessions, each taking only
minutes, all as an outpatient-no hospital
stays, general anesthesia or wearing a
catheter. Most importantly, studies show
SBRT therapy offers the same five-year
cancer control rates seen with conventional
treatment options.

Dr. Farber, who also offers expertise
in SBRT for brain, spine, lung, and
breast cancers, as well as high-dose
brachytherapy for skin, breast and
gynecological tumors, says SBRT is
often so well-tolerated by patients it
doesn't disrupt daily activities. "I've
had professional athletes go straight
from therapy to training sessions," he
explains. "We never stop working toward
achieving the best outcomes with the
fewest side effects."

SBRT uses state-of-the-art image
guidance and RapidArc technology to
deliver higher radiotherapy doses with
unprecedented accuracy. This translates
into better cure rates and fewer side
effects. The precision of image guidance

"While more long-term data is needed,
it is very possible that SBRT could offer
higher cure rates, especially for moderate
and high-risk cancers," explains Dr. Farber.

To make an appointment or to learn
more about SBRT, please call St. Jude
Jordan Family Radiation Oncology Center
at (714) 446-5632.
HEALTH MATTERS 5
St. Jude Medical Center - Fall 2018

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