title: Advances in the treatment of prostate cancer with radiotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prognosis of prostate cancer has improved as a result of the combination with androgen deprivation therapy and the increase of radiation dose. However, a high number of prostate cancer patients will develop biochemical recurrence; therefore a research effort to increase the control of the tumour in these patients is necessary.
  
  
  METHODS
  To increase the therapeutic ratio (the index between cytotoxic effects and normal tissue complications with a certain dose of radiation), different new strategies described in the literature have been reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are several strategies that may increase the efficacy of radiotherapy to treat prostate cancer. First is based on physics and technology, and second based on biology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Technical advances in radiotherapy allow intensification of radiation through escalation of the dose or in combination with chemotherapy. Furthermore, targeting specific molecular dysregulated pathways in the tumour will increase the effects of radiation specifically in tumour cells. Hopefully, these strategies will result in increased rates of tumour control in all prognostic groups, especially in high risk tumours and a subgroup of patients with intermediate risk tumours, minimizing treatment morbidity and increasing the therapeutic ratio of radiotherapy.
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Malaga, Spain. Electronic address: jaimegomezmillan@gmail.com.
authors: Jaime
authors: J
authors: Gómez-Millán
authors: Department of Urology, University Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Malaga, Spain.
authors: María Fernanda
authors: MF
authors: Lara
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Malaga, Spain.
authors: Raquel
authors: R
authors: Correa Generoso
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Malaga, Spain.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Perez-Rozos
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Malaga, Spain.
authors: Yolanda
authors: Y
authors: Lupiáñez-Pérez
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Malaga, Spain.
authors: Jose Antonio
authors: JA
authors: Medina Carmona
mesh_terms: D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Dose escalation; Prostate cancer; Radiotherapy; Stereotactic body radiotherapy