title: SBRT and extreme hypofractionation: A new era in prostate cancer treatments?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Radiation therapy (RT) is a standard therapeutic option for prostate cancer (PC). In the last decades, several innovative technology applications have been introduced. 3-Dimensional conformal RT, volumetric/rotational intensity modulated RT associated or not with image-guided RT, are becoming largely diffused in the treatment of PC.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Considering that PC could have a low α/β ratio, similar to late-reacting normal tissues, it could also be highly responsive to fraction size. Thus, the reduction of the number of fractions and the increase of the dose/fraction seem to be reasonable choices in the treatment of this cancer. This review reported the technology evolution, the radiobiological and the clinical data about the role of extreme hypofractionated RT in the treatment approach of PC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline search and analysis of published studies containing key words: prostate cancer, radiotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent technological developments, combined with an improved knowledge of the radiobiological models in favor of a high sensitivity of PC to larger fraction sizes are opening a new scenario in its treatment, reporting favorable efficacy and acceptable toxicity, despite short follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, thanks to technological improvement and the recent radiobiological data, "extreme hypofractionated RT" has been strongly introduced in the last years as a potential solid treatment option for PC.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Sacro Cuore Hospital, Negrar-Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alongi
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Sacro Cuore Hospital, Negrar-Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanna, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Berardino
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Bari
keywords: Hypofractionation; Prostate cancer; Radiobiology; Radiotherapy