Dr. Christien Kluwe, a radiation oncologist at Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, is advocating for a new approach to managing prostate cancer in light of recent advancements in technology and longer life expectancy among patients. The most common cancer diagnosed in men, prostate cancer has a five-year survival rate of 97%.
Kluwe believes that the traditional approach to managing prostate cancer needs to be reevaluated to balance disease control and quality of life for patients. He raised questions about the necessity of androgen deprivation therapy, such as testosterone blockers, for all prostate cancer patients. Kluwe emphasizes the importance of identifying those patients who would benefit significantly from a decrease in testosterone levels and tailoring the treatment accordingly.
The oncologist is also exploring radiation techniques like stereotactic body radiation therapy as part of his research. This highly precise and powerful treatment method allows for the delivery of high doses of radiation in a shorter period, condensing an eight-week treatment regimen into just five days with minimal impact on healthy surrounding tissues. With tiny pellets that are the size of grains of rice, radiation can be delivered directly to the cancer cells over a span of five days, sparing healthy tissues from damage.
This innovative approach to treatment has revolutionized the care of prostate cancer patients and has improved patient outcomes significantly. The collaboration between TPR and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio aims to highlight scientific advancements in medicine that have the potential to improve patient outcomes further.