Intraoperative radiotherapy for carcinoma of the prostate

The treatment of prostatic cancer has received increasing interest since the 1950's when Flocks et al. reported on the effects of interstitial irradiation and Bagshaw et al. reported on external-beam irradiation. Electron-beam intraoperative radiotherapy has been used more recently in the treatment of prostatic cancer. On the basis of published reports and their own experience in analyzing the effectiveness of intraoperative radiotherapy on four patients with prostatic cancer, the authors point out that confirmation of the effectiveness of this therapy will require the development of a specific adaptation of this modality and clarification of the function of radiotherapy. (author)