Steven J. Frank, MD

Peter J. Rossi, MD, a radiation oncologist with Kaiser Permanente and Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and Steven J. Frank, MD, a professor of radiation oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, present important updates on brachytherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. Dr. Rossi notes that radiation-resistant tumors can be treated with well-executed brachytherapy, and highlights the level-one evidence for prostate brachytherapy over other treatments. He also discusses some drawbacks to brachytherapy, particularly toxicity, and how they can be addressed. Dr. Frank follows, discussing MRI-assisted radiosurgery (MARS) and highlighting the strengths of MRI over CT scans and ultrasounds in brachytherapy. He also outlines the findings of a study he led regarding the use of MRI-assisted brachytherapy, emphasizing that the quality of MRI imaging allows for higher quality of care and largely avoids the problem of toxicity. Dr. Frank also discusses the difference between MRI-guided and MRI-assisted therapy, and highlights important steps to avoid certain negative outcomes.