External Beam Radiation Therapy

External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) can be used in multiple ways in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

In metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, hormone therapy can be added to radiation therapy. For patients with a low volume of metastatic disease at diagnosis, who have not previously received hormone therapy, guidelines now recommend that external beam radiation therapy to the prostate be considered in addition to systemic medical therapy. This benefit was not seen among patients with a high disease burden at diagnosis.

Some patients have a low number of metastatic lesions seen on imaging, termed “oligometastatic” disease. The threshold is generally 5 or fewer metastatic tumors. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), a short course of high-intensity radiation therapy, can be directed to the metastases, and has been shown to delay the time to hormone therapy.

In metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, EBRT is largely used for palliative purposes, that is, to alleviate symptoms due to the cancer, such as pain, nerve compression, urinary obstruction, or bleeding. Talk to your medical oncologist and consult with a radiation oncologist to see if radiation therapy may be an option for you.

Last Reviewed: 12/2023