Micropos Medical: Augmented SBRT gaining ground at a rapid pace - first presented at ESTRO, now also highlighted at SASRO
The concept of Augmented SBRT (ASBRT) was first introduced at ESTRO¹ in May this year. At SASRO² in mid-September, ASBRT was presented under its own name in the lecture "Augmented SBRT for prostate cancer: optimisation strategies to improve the therapeutic ratio" delivered by Prof. Thomas Zilli during the scientific session on Prostate SBRT.
Micropos Medical, as one of the few suppliers enabling ASBRT, is pleased to see how quickly both the industry and the research community have recognised its potential and shown interest in the opportunities it provides: effective treatment of prostate cancer with minimal side effects.
Combining precision technology with patient benefits
ASBRT integrates state-of-the-art technologies for motion tracking and methods for precision in prostate cancer radiotherapy, with a strong focus on treatment outcome and patients' quality of life.
The technical solutions required to track prostate movement in real time and deliver radiation therapy with high precision have been available for some years. Now, clinical studies³ confirm that, with the right technical solutions applied, it is possible to deliver treatment in five or fewer sessions with higher radiation doses per session, while at the same time reducing the risk of side effects.
Patient-centred treatment with fewer side effects
"In addition to being highly effective, ASBRT offers clear benefits for patients by making treatment easier to undergo and, most importantly, by reducing troublesome side effects such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence. The goal is to deliver curative treatment with zero side effects. This is already achievable today," says Thomas Lindström, MD at Micropos Medical, the company behind Raypilot System, a technology for accurate prostate motion tracking and precision during radiotherapy.
Towards the "virtual prostatectomy"
In his presentation at SASRO, Prof. Thomas Zilli of the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (Bellinzona, Switzerland) discussed how to further optimise strategies in SBRT⁴. He addressed the potential shift from five radiation treatments to just one - what he referred to as a "virtual prostatectomy" - alongside improved targeting through intrafraction motion control and methods to mitigate urinary toxicity.
The session underscored the conference's broader theme "Less is More", highlighting how precision and innovation can lead to more effective and less invasive cancer care.
Focus on access and quality of life
"Now we must focus on patients' quality of life and ensuring that more patients can gain access to ASBRT. That is why it is so encouraging to see the ASBRT concept being discussed so prominently at forums such as SASRO," concludes Thomas Lindström.
¹ ESTRO - European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology
² SASRO - Scientific Association of Swiss Radiation Oncology
³ A Phase 3 Trial of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Localized Prostate Cancer, van As et al, N Engl J Med 2024;391:1413-1425
⁴ SBRT - Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy; the patient is treated on five or fewer occasions, on consecutive days, and with a significantly higher radiation dose each time compared with traditional treatment