Focused radiation therapy versus monitoring for prostate cancer with limited spread

This trial studied stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)—a highly focused form of radiation delivered in intense doses over less than a week—in men whose prostate cancer had returned after initial treatment and spread to three or fewer bone locations. Researchers compared SBRT against observation alone (watchful waiting) to see if this treatment could slow disease progression and delay the need for hormone therapy, which can have significant side effects.

Men with prostate cancer that has spread to just a few bones typically start hormone therapy, which works well at first but can cause troubling side effects over time. This trial was designed to test whether aggressively treating these limited spread sites with focused radiation could hold off hormone therapy and prevent additional metastases from developing elsewhere in the body.