ERECTILE Function Preservation for Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy

Dr. Jochem van der Voort van Zyp, MD, PhD, a radiation oncologist at UMC Utrecht, The Netherlands, explains the ERECT trial, a phase two study that aims to reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction for prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

How can MR-guided radiotherapy reduce toxicity?

• Better visualization of sensitive structures, like the neurovascular bundle and internal pudendal arteries, which are not visible on CT
• Daily contouring and plan adaptation enable clinicians to control the dose to these structures

This increased precision enables clinicians to shape the radiation dose more effectively, steering high-dose regions away from these sensitive areas to preserve erectile function.

ERECT trial:

Seventy patients with low or intermediate risk prostate cancer received MR-guided Radiation Therapy (MRgRT) in 5 fractions of 7.25 Gy on Elekta Unity MR-Linac with sparing of nerves and blood vessels essential for erectile function.

Key findings:

Intermediate results showed lower rates of erectile dysfunction (ED) compared to conventional EBRT without neurovascular sparing were recorded by patients:

• 6 months: 6% vs. 21%
• 12 months: 8.5% vs. 38%
• 18 months: 16% vs. 36%

These results show that MRgRT helps clinicians to deliver the therapeutic dose to the prostate, while the erectile tissues receive a much lower dose, thus preserving their function.

Read more about the ERECT trial

Find out more:
Elekta Unity | MR-Linac - MR/RT | Radiotherapy | Elekta
MR-guided RT for prostate cancer | MR-Linac - MR/RT | Radiotherapy | Elekta