(No Subject)

Gentlemen --

Is Focal Laser Ablation the same procedure as 4-Fraction Spilt-Course Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy? I am strongly inclined to having the latter performed at Massy Cancer Center in Richmond, Virginia, but am a tad confused by the stand-alone term FLA.

I fit all of the criteria for SART, i.e., a low-grade cancerous tumor confined to the transitional zone at the apex with a Gleason of 7 (3+4) and PSA of 5.3.

Please excuse my ignorance. I am somewhat embarrassed by this question.

Bill

Bill-

They are entirely different. The confusion is their fault, not yours.

Stereotactic ABlative Radiation Therapy is usually abbreviated SABR is exactly the same thing as what is usually called Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT). The most popular brand is CyberKnife, although it is given on a variety of platforms these days. As far as I can tell, someone was trying to be cutesy with the acronyms, and wanted it to sound like the popular brands that had a "knife" or "saber" in the name, like CyberKnife or GammaKnife. I suppose the "knife" is supposed to connote how sharply the radiation falls off around the target and its sub-millimeter accuracy. Despite the name, it isn't really ablative at all because it doesn't destroy the cells of the prostate like laser, HIFU, cryo, and PDT do. To add to the confusion, there is a new ablative technique that uses Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) and the brand name is NanoKnife. They call it that because it destroys single cells and not any nearby cells as other kinds of thermal ablation (e.g., laser) do.

So whether you call it SBRT or SABR, I can recommend it highly (see my signature).