Update on Brachytherapy for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer in 2020

Posted by Steven J. Frank, MD, FACR, FABS, FASTRO | Apr 2020

Peter J. Rossi, MD, and Steven J. Frank, MD, presented “Update on Brachytherapy for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer in 2020” during the 30th Annual International Prostate Cancer Update on January 23rd, 2020 in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

How to cite: Rossi, Peter J. Frank, Steven J. “Update on Brachytherapy for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer in 2020” January 23rd, 2020. Accessed Apr 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/update-on-brachytherapy-for-the-treatment-of-prostate-cancer-in-2020/

Update on Brachytherapy for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer in 2020 – Summary:

Peter J. Rossi, MD, a radiation oncologist with Kaiser Permanente and Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and Steven J. Frank, MD, a professor of radiation oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, present important updates on brachytherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. Dr. Rossi notes that radiation-resistant tumors can be treated with well-executed brachytherapy, and highlights the level-one evidence for prostate brachytherapy over other treatments. He also discusses some drawbacks to brachytherapy, particularly toxicity, and how they can be addressed. Dr. Frank follows, discussing MRI-assisted radiosurgery (MARS) and highlighting the strengths of MRI over CT scans and ultrasounds in brachytherapy. He also outlines the findings of a study he led regarding the use of MRI-assisted brachytherapy, emphasizing that the quality of MRI imaging allows for higher quality of care and largely avoids the problem of toxicity. Dr. Frank also discusses the difference between MRI-guided and MRI-assisted therapy, and highlights important steps to avoid certain negative outcomes.

About The 30th Annual International Prostate Cancer Update:

The International Prostate Cancer Update (IPCU), founded in 1990, is a multi-day CME conference focused on prostate cancer treatment updates with expert, international faculty. It is led by expert physicians and is designed for urologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and other healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. Dr. Ross and Dr. Frank delivered this educational activity during the 30th iteration of the meeting in January 2020.

For further educational activities from this conference, visit our collection page.

About the Authors

Peter J. Rossi, MD

Dr. Rossi is a board-certified radiation oncologist affiliated with Kaiser Permanente and Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. He received his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan, and then went on to complete his internship and residency at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California, and Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, respectively. He then held the positions of Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and Medical Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology Winship at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, for several years before relocating to Colorado. Dr. Rossi has published widely on subjects like intensity-modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer, prostate brachytherapy, and vaginal brachytherapy. He has over 15 years of clinical experience and participates in a multidisciplinary team on a daily basis to provide the best possible care to cancer patients.

Steven J. Frank, MD

Dr. Frank is an endowed Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, as well as the Medical Director of the Proton Therapy Center at MD Anderson and the leader of both the Proton Therapy Program for Head and Neck Cancer and the Prostate Brachytherapy Program. He is also the Director of Advanced Technologies in the Division of Radiation Oncology at MD Anderson. Dr. Frank received his medical degree from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and completed his residency at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. An expert in MRI radiotherapy, Dr. Frank is the founder of C4 Imaging, a company which develops innovative medical devices to improve image-guided procedures. The FDA has approved his novel positive-contrast implantable marker for use in MRI-guided prostate brachytherapy. Dr. Frank has served as President and Chairman of the Board of the American Brachytherapy Society. He has also chaired the American Board of Radiology’s Oral Examinations Program for Head and Neck Cancer.

About The Author

Steven J. Frank, MD, FACR, FABS, FASTRO

Steven J. Frank, MD, is an endowed tenured professor of Radiation Oncology and holds the Bessie McGoldrick Professorship in Clinical Research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Frank is the Executive Director of the Particle Therapy Institute and Deputy Head of Strategy for the Division of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Frank was instrumental in facilitating the restructuring of MD Anderson’s Proton Therapy Center through an asset acquisition and a subsequent expansion of a second Proton Therapy Center to advance Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT). Dr. Frank is amongst the first, if not the first, to use IMPT to treat head and neck tumors, and he is the Principal Investigator of an NIH/NCI -sponsored multi-institutional Phase II/III randomized trial in advanced-stage oropharyngeal cancer that compares outcomes after chemoradiation given by IMRT versus IMPT. Dr. Frank has approximately 300 peer-reviewed publications, has authored many book chapters, and has recently published the first textbook on Proton Therapy, based on the MD Anderson experience. Dr. Frank’s lab is studying the biologic enhancement factor of proton therapy and FLASH radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, as well as MRI-Assisted Radiosurgery (MARS) as the next generation of prostate brachytherapy. Dr. Frank’s expertise in MRI radiotherapy has led to the development and FDA approval of multiple novel positive-contrast implantable markers for use in MRI-guided LDR and HDR prostate brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy. As founder of the company, C4 Imaging, Dr. Frank has developed the MRI marker technology at MD Anderson, has been granted 31 national and international patents, developed three FDA-approved products, and has established MRI-Assisted Radiosurgery (MARS) at MD Anderson for the treatment of prostate cancer. He has funding from the NIH, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the Texas Ignition Fund, Hitachi, and MD Anderson, and he has also raised multiple rounds of private equity financing to advance C4 technology. Dr. Frank has served as the past President and Chairman of the Board of the American Brachytherapy Society and is the 2023 recipient of the Ulrich Henschke Award, the highest honor awarded by the ABS to a practitioner of brachytherapy. Dr. Frank has served as the chair for the head and neck oral boards for the American Board of Radiology over the last six years and will join the Board of Trustees in October 2023. Dr. Frank is a fellow of the ABS, ACR, and ASTRO. Prior to entering medicine, Dr. Frank served in the military as a U.S. Navy Diver and submarine officer on the fast attack nuclear submarine USS Batfish (SSN-681). He is married to Dr. Ivy Frank, a veterinarian, and his hobbies include golf, flying, and coaching softball for his four daughters.

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