Beat Prostate Cancer
Without Surgery
Modern radiation therapy — including SBRT and IMRT — cures localized prostate cancer as effectively as surgery, with no incisions, no hospital stay, and a lower risk of both incontinence and erectile dysfunction.Proven in a 15-year randomized trial • As few as 5 treatments • No downtime
Two Proven Paths, One Goal: Cure
Not long ago, prostate radiation meant seven to nine weeks of daily visits. Today, WellSpring Oncology delivers curative treatment in as few as five sessions — with precision that protects the tissue around the prostate.
SBRT
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy
An ultra-precise, high-dose technique that completes curative treatment in just 5 sessions over about two weeks. Reserved for carefully selected patients — gland size, baseline urinary function, and cancer risk group all must qualify, and many men do not.
- 5 treatments instead of 20–45
- Each visit takes under 30 minutes
- Daily IGRT confirms millimeter-level accuracy at every session
- Candidacy is determined at consultation — not every man qualifies
IMRT
Hypofractionated
Intensity-modulated beams sculpt dose around the bladder, rectum, and nerves while a moderately higher daily dose shortens the course to about 4–5½ weeks — proven equivalent to longer schedules in randomized trials.
- 20–28 treatments over 4–5½ weeks
- Randomized trials confirm equal cure rates to longer courses
- Daily IGRT targets the prostate before every treatment
- Excellent balance of speed and gentleness
IMRT
Conventional Fractionation
The most extensively proven curative approach, delivering a gentle daily dose over 8–9 weeks. The right choice for larger glands, significant baseline urinary symptoms, or higher-risk disease requiring wider treatment fields.
- Gentlest dose per visit — well tolerated at any age
- Preferred when urinary symptoms or gland size limit shorter courses
- Daily IGRT keeps precision high across the full course
- Combines seamlessly with hormone therapy when needed
The Precision Behind Every Treatment
Curing the cancer is only half the mission. The other half is protecting everything around it.
Image-Guided Targeting (IGRT)
Daily imaging locates the prostate before every treatment, so the beam follows the target — not the other way around. Accuracy is measured in millimeters.
Hydrogel Rectal Spacer
A dissolvable gel placed between the prostate and rectum in a brief office procedure pushes healthy tissue out of the radiation field, sharply reducing rectal side effects.
MRI-Based Planning
MRI fusion gives us a clearer look inside the prostate than CT alone, letting us shape dose precisely around the tumor while protecting nerves, bladder, and rectum.
Personalized Risk Assessment
Genomic testing, PSA kinetics, and modern staging scans help us match treatment intensity to your specific cancer — including when hormone therapy adds benefit and when it can be safely avoided.
Focal Microboost for High-Risk Cancer
For high-risk disease, we can escalate dose precisely to the MRI-visible dominant tumor nodule — a "microboost" shown in the 10-year FLAME trial to improve cancer control without increasing side effects.
Radiation vs. Surgery: The Data
The ProtecT trial randomized 1,643 men with localized prostate cancer to radiation, surgery, or active monitoring — then followed them for 15 years. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, it remains the definitive head-to-head comparison.
Survival Was Virtually Identical
15-year prostate cancer survival was about 97% with both radiation and surgery. Radiation cured prostate cancer just as reliably as removing the prostate entirely.
No statistically significant difference in survival was found between radiation and surgery. Both treatments also reduced the risk of the cancer spreading (metastasis) by about half compared with monitoring alone — 5.0% with radiation vs. 4.7% with surgery vs. 9.4% with monitoring.
Quality of Life Was Not Identical
With cure rates equal, the patient-reported outcomes became the deciding factor — and they clearly favored radiation for urinary control and preservation of erectile function.
Urinary Leakage Requiring Pads
Men using absorbent pads at 6 months — the point of greatest difference (scale: 10 men = 100%)
Fewer is better
Nearly 1 in 2 men needed pads six months after surgery, versus about 1 in 20 after radiation. Incontinence remained worse in the surgery group at every follow-up point in the trial.
Erections Firm Enough for Intercourse
Men reporting function at 6 years — the longest follow-up reported (scale: 10 men = 100%)
More is better
Erectile function remained worse after surgery at every time point — the drop was steepest and most immediate (12% at 6 months), with the least recovery. At 6 years, radiation patients were far more likely to retain function.
Source: Donovan JL, et al. Patient-Reported Outcomes after Monitoring, Surgery, or Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer (ProtecT). N Engl J Med 2016;375:1425–37
The Bottom Line from 15 Years of Evidence
If radiation cures prostate cancer as reliably as surgery — and it does — then the decision comes down to side effects, recovery, and quality of life. That's where modern radiotherapy shines. And remember: the ProtecT trial used 1990s-era radiation techniques. Today's image-guided IMRT and SBRT are dramatically more precise than what those patients received.
Sources: Hamdy FC, et al. N Engl J Med 2023;388:1547–58 · Hamdy FC, et al. N Engl J Med 2016;375:1415–24 · Donovan JL, et al. N Engl J Med 2016;375:1425–37
Radiation or Surgery: Know Both Sides
National guidelines recommend every man with localized prostate cancer meet with both a urologist and a radiation oncologist before deciding. Here's the balanced picture we walk through with every patient.
Our commitment: the right treatment for you, not for us
Surgery is the right answer for some men, and active surveillance is the right answer for others — many low-risk cancers don't need treatment at all. Our radiation oncologists will tell you honestly which path fits your cancer, your anatomy, and your priorities. If that answer isn't radiation, we'll say so.
Prostate cancer research and guidance
Stay current with source-linked prostate evidence
Read our patient guides on prostate SBRT, brachytherapy boost, proton therapy comparisons, hormone therapy, and the latest randomized trial results.
Interested in protons? New data shows no benefit over modern IMRT for prostate cancer. Read more about the COMPPARE study
A Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
Deserves Every Option
Most men make their treatment decision within weeks of diagnosis — often after meeting only a surgeon. Before you decide, hear what modern radiotherapy can offer: equal cure rates, no operation, and treatment measured in days, not weeks of recovery.
Fast, Convenient Courses
SBRT completes curative treatment in as few as 5 visits — each under 30 minutes, no downtime
Evidence-Backed Cure
15-year randomized data shows radiation matches surgery for survival — with fewer urinary side effects
Close to Home
World-class prostate radiotherapy in Pinellas Park — serving St. Petersburg and all of Tampa Bay
Why Men Choose Radiation at WellSpring
Get the full picture before you decide — your treatment choice lasts a lifetime
Call today to schedule your prostate cancer consultation with our radiation oncologists