Dr. Andrew Loblaw, Chair, PCF
Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) is a pin-point radiotherapy technique poised to become a new standard of care for men with localized prostate cancer.
The technique is more precise, more convenient and appears to be more effective than standard external beam radiation. Patients only need five high-precision, non-invasive treatments compared to the usual 20-39 treatment course.
Treatment success rates for SABR are over 95% for low- and intermediate-risk patients going out to eight years (Musunuru HB et al 2016). Quality of life after treatment appears to be as good or better than brachytherapy, which is now considered the most effective radiation technique for prostate cancer (Helou J et al 2015).
SABR also appears to be better on the pocketbook and healthcare system. Having only five treatments saves the patient on average $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs for driving and parking (Sethukavalan P et al 2012). Cancer centres can treat eight times the number of patients with the same resources and save $5,517 per patient (Loblaw A et al 2013).
An international clinical trial called PACE (Prostate Advances in Comparative Evidence) will open in early February 2016 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Patients will be randomly assigned to standard radiation or SABR. There are already more than ten patients waiting for the trial to open at Sunnybrook.
The PACE trial will take place at 12 cancer centres across Canada. These centres include: Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary; Juravinski Cancer Centre, Hamilton; London Regional Cancer Centre, London; Jewish General, Rosemount and Central Sud Hospitals, Montreal; Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre, Ottawa; Northeast Cancer Centre, Sudbury; Odette Cancer Centre and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto; Windsor Regional Cancer Centre, Windsor; and CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg.
The Prostate Cure Foundation and Ride For Dad are co-sponsoring the trial in Canada, helped by generous donations from Astellas, Janssen and AstraZeneca.
Men with favourable-risk prostate cancer who are interested in participating in the SABR Prostate Trial should contact their oncologist to see if they might qualify for the trial.
Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) is a pin-point radiotherapy technique poised to become a new standard of care for men with localized prostate cancer.
The technique is more precise, more convenient and appears to be more effective than standard external beam radiation. Patients only need five high-precision, non-invasive treatments compared to the usual 20-39 treatment course.
Treatment success rates for SABR are over 95% for low- and intermediate-risk patients going out to eight years (Musunuru HB et al 2016). Quality of life after treatment appears to be as good or better than brachytherapy, which is now considered the most effective radiation technique for prostate cancer (Helou J et al 2015).
SABR also appears to be better on the pocketbook and healthcare system. Having only five treatments saves the patient on average $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs for driving and parking (Sethukavalan P et al 2012). Cancer centres can treat eight times the number of patients with the same resources and save $5,517 per patient (Loblaw A et al 2013).
An international clinical trial called PACE (Prostate Advances in Comparative Evidence) will open in early February 2016 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Patients will be randomly assigned to standard radiation or SABR. There are already more than ten patients waiting for the trial to open at Sunnybrook.
The PACE trial will take place at 12 cancer centres across Canada. These centres include: Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary; Juravinski Cancer Centre, Hamilton; London Regional Cancer Centre, London; Jewish General, Rosemount and Central Sud Hospitals, Montreal; Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre, Ottawa; Northeast Cancer Centre, Sudbury; Odette Cancer Centre and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto; Windsor Regional Cancer Centre, Windsor; and CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg.
The Prostate Cure Foundation and Ride For Dad are co-sponsoring the trial in Canada, helped by generous donations from Astellas, Janssen and AstraZeneca.
Men with favourable-risk prostate cancer who are interested in participating in the SABR Prostate Trial should contact their oncologist to see if they might qualify for the trial.
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