On 5–6 February, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Hospital in Monza, Italy, hosted the first educational course on SBRT for the treatment of prostate cancer. The clinic, long established as a reference site for Micropos Medical, is committed to promoting knowledge about modern radiotherapy and its significant benefits for both patients and healthcare providers. Several of Europe’s most renowned experts in the field participated as speakers.
San Gerardo Hospital in Monza was the first clinic in the world to use Micropos Medical’s Raypilot® System to reinforce prostate cancer radiotherapy. Professor Stefano Arcangeli and his colleagues have since treated about 50 patients using Augmented SBRT*, ASBRT, supported by Raypilot System and have conducted and published six significant scientific studies** on radiotherapy using real-time monitoring.
The clinic is currently conducting research into single-fraction treatment, where therapy is delivered in one session (while traditional radiotherapy requires 20–40 treatment sessions).
Knowledge sharing to accelerate adoption
Based on their positive clinical experience, the clinic aims, just like Micropos Medical, to actively spread awareness of the opportunities and advantages offered by modern prostate cancer radiotherapy, also referred to as Augmented SBRT, ASBRT. With the high level of precision enabled by real-time monitoring, the treatment offers a smooth patient experience with minimal side effects while providing increased confidence and efficiency for healthcare providers.
All 120 seats at the Monza seminar were quickly filled. Participants attended presentations covering the latest clinical study results in SBRT, technological innovations including Raypilot System as well as other options, and future perspectives in prostate cancer treatment.
Precision and real-time monitoring – key to treatment success
Speakers emphasised that the precision and accuracy enabled by real-time monitoring technologies, such as the Raypilot System, are unconditional prerequisites for successful ASBRT, enabling optimised treatment outcomes while preserving patients’ quality of life.
The seminar was distinguished by its combination of clinical experts and medical physicists with specialised expertise in radiotherapy and real-time motion management.
“It is very encouraging to see Professor Stefano Arcangeli and the Monza team demonstrate such strong confidence in the potential of ASBRT by organising this training for their European colleagues. I was impressed to see so many leading experts gathered in one place,” says Thomas Lindström from Micropos Medical, who attended the seminar.
Aiming for increased awareness
Today, surgery remains the most common treatment for prostate cancer, despite a growing body of scientific evidence showing that modern radiotherapy may offer a superior alternative***, particularly in terms of patient outcomes and post-treatment quality of life.
“The strong position of surgery is driven more by established structures and patient pathways than by superior patient benefits. We are actively working to increase awareness of modern, well-documented treatment alternatives and are very grateful that our partners in Monza contribute by organising this high-quality educational initiative. The seminar sparked highly engaged discussions among both speakers and participants on how to change the narrative and increase awareness of the benefits of modern prostate cancer radiotherapy. This is important,” says Thomas Lindström.
* SBRT, Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, the patient is treated on five or fewer occasions, for five or fewer days in a row and with a significantly higher radiation dose each time than with traditional treatment
** Examples of studies:
Dosimetric Impact of Intrafraction Prostate Motion and Interfraction Anatomical Changes in Dose-Escalated Linac-Based SBRT, Panizza et al, Cancers Journal, 2023
Intrafraction prostate motion management during dose-escalated linac-based stereotactic body radiation therapy, Panizza et al, Frontiers in Oncology in the SBRT for Prostate Cancer Topic, 2022
Ablative Radiotherapy for Unfavorable Prostate Tumors (ABRUPT): Analysis of Toxicity and Quality of Life from a Prospective Study, Arcangeli et al, International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, 2024
***Radical Prostatectomy Versus Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Clinically Localised Prostate Cancer: Results of the PACE-A Randomised Trial, Nicholas van As et al, European Urology, 2024