Nuvance Health offers new radiation treatment for prostate cancer

Nuvance Health now offers accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy for prostate cancer to decrease overall treatment time and lower the risk of treatment side effects for patients. Prostate cancer patients who meet criteria for accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy can complete treatment in five days and achieve the same or better results when compared to 25 to 45 treatment sessions over five to nine weeks with conventional radiation therapy.

Accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy for prostate cancer patients is available at the following Nuvance Health locations in the Hudson Valley:

• Putnam Hospital in Carmel, NY
• Ulster Radiation Oncology Center in Kingston, NY
• Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, NY

Accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy — also called precision stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) — safely delivers high doses of radiation during each treatment session. Each treatment session lasts about five minutes. The radiation beams precisely target the prostate cancer and spare nearby healthy tissue to reduce the risk of side effects such as urinary incontinence and impotence. Nuvance Health also uses a biodegradable rectal spacer with this new radiation technique to protect healthy tissue and preserve a patient’s bowel, urinary, and sexual function.

“Accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy is convenient for prostate cancer patients because they can complete a full course of treatment in just five days, which means they need to take less time away from their daily activities and work than with conventional radiation therapy,” said Dr. Margo Shoup, senior vice president and system chair of the Nuvance Health Cancer Institute. “In addition to the latest treatment options, Nuvance Health has a dedicated genitourinary oncology team that specializes in caring for patients with prostate cancer.”

“Accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy is the leading standard of care for patients with prostate cancer. Nuvance Health has a collaborative radiation oncology team that is proud to provide cutting-edge services to our patients in the New York Hudson Valley,” said Matthew Sutton, chief medical physicist for Nuvance Health, New York.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among American men. There is a 1 in 9 chance that a man will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime. Treatment for prostate cancer depends on the individual and may include radiation therapy, surgery, hormonal therapy, or chemotherapy.

To learn more about accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy for prostate cancer, please visit our website here.

CONTACT
Amy Forni, Manager, Public Relations
(203) 739 7478 | Amy.Forni@nuvancehealth.org

About Nuvance Health
Nuvance Health is a family of award-winning nonprofit hospitals and healthcare professionals in the Hudson Valley and western Connecticut. Nuvance Health combines highly skilled physicians, state-of-the-art facilities and technology, and compassionate caregivers dedicated to providing quality care across a variety of clinical areas, including Cardiovascular, Neurosciences, Oncology, Orthopedics, and Primary Care.

Nuvance Health has a network of convenient hospital and outpatient locations — Danbury Hospital, New Milford Hospital, Norwalk Hospital and Sharon Hospital in Connecticut, and Northern Dutchess Hospital, Putnam Hospital and Vassar Brothers Medical Center in New York — plus multiple primary and specialty care physician practice locations, including The Heart Center, a leading provider of cardiology care, and two urgent care offices. Non-acute care is offered through various affiliates, including the Thompson House for rehabilitation and skilled nursing services, and the Home Care organizations. For more information about Nuvance Health, visit our website. TTY: 1-800-421-1220