MR-based Interventional Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer: One Approach to Personalized Medicine

Regions within the prostate that have initial tumour visible on imaging may be the most likely site of local recurrence after standard external beam radiotherapy. Therefore, an intraprostatic tumour-targeted dose escalation approach may improve the therapeutic ratio and minimize normal tissue toxicity, while improving local tumour control. MRI has the potential to better distinguish macroscopic cancer within the prostate compared to other imaging modalities. Using MRI-directed brachytherapy may allow dose escalation, normal tissue avoidance, and represents a novel imaging and radiotherapeutic approach to personalized medicine.