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Prostate SABR (Radiotherapy)

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PROSTATE SABR PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET

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PROSTATE SABR PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy SBRT is a type of external beam radiotherapy that sends highenergy focused beams of radiation into the prostate allowing a highly targeted delivery of radiation WHAT ARE THE STEPS INVOLVED Fiducial Insertion Fiducial markers are tiny metal objects about the size of a grain of rice They help your radiation therapists line up the beams of radiation and make sure your radiation therapy is delivered exactly the same way each time This helps them target the tumour and avoid your nearby healthy tissue The fiducial markers will stay in your prostate after your treatment This is a day procedure completed at the Beacon Hospital On the morning of your fiducial insertion you will check into the day unit on level 1 in the Beacon Hospital You should be okay to drive home following this procedure You will be called the week before your procedure with a time to attend for this appointment You will receive a call from a radiotherapy nurse prior to this procedure It is important to mention if you Take an anticoagulant blood thinner Have any heart condition Have any implanted heart device or hip replacement s You will receive a call from the radiotherapy department a day or two after your fiducial insertion The radiation therapist will give you the details of the next appointment in the planning process which will be a CT scan Bladder And Bowel Preparation You will need to prepare your bladder and bowel before the CT scan and before every radiotherapy treatment This is because the prostate sits very close to your bladder rectum and bowel therefore the position of your prostate can change depending on the size of your bladder and rectum This may affect the accuracy of the treatment and increase your risk of getting side effects You will be asked to have a comfortably full bladder and empty rectum This ensures the radiotherapy is aimed at your prostate and that the surrounding areas get as little radiation as possible It is very important that you do not fast before your CT planning scan It is important to eat before you come to the radiotherapy department as fasting can cause gas in your bowels which will distort the CT scan and make it unusable Before you have your CT scan and radiotherapy treatment you will need to be well hydrated You should drink about two litres of water throughout the day starting a few days before your planning CT scan and continuing this throughout your treatment The radiotherapy department will send you a prescription and information leaflet including instructions for an enema called microlax Take it with you to your local pharmacy and they will dispense it for you This ensures your bowels and rectum are empty prior to your CT scan We will also ask you to use it for the first week of your treatment Catheter Insertion A temporary urinary catheter is inserted into the urethra tube in the penis into your bladder on the day of your CT scan This is necessary to highlight certain body parts and helps the doctor plan your treatment The catheter is inserted by a radiotherapy nurse in the radiotherapy department and will also be removed by the nurse before you go home We advise patients to bring a change of underwear on the day as the catheter can leak sometimes You will receive a call from the nurse prior to your arrival to the department to discuss the catheter insertion It is important to mention to the nurse or radiation therapists if you have had any urinary issues prior to your visit CT Planning Scan On arrival to the radiotherapy department you will be asked to take a Microlax enema Once this has worked and the bowels feel empty the radiation therapists will set you up in the position you will be in for your radiotherapy treatments This involves lying flat on your back with some cushioning under your head knees and feet The radiation therapists will take a CT scan to ensure your bowels are empty and at this point the nurse will insert the catheter Once the catheter has been inserted you will be asked to drink a measured amount of water usually 600mls The radiation therapists will wait thirty minutes before taking a scan to allow time for the water to pass through the body and fill the bladder Once the radiation therapists are happy with the scan you will be escorted to the radiology department for an MRI scan The catheter will remain in place until the MRI is completed MRI Scan An MRI scan is also completed on the day of your CT appointment This is used to help the doctor to plan your treatment This will be booked by the radiation therapists and usually occurs after the CT scan A radiation therapist will escort you to the radiology department in time for your MRI scan It is necessary for the catheter to remain in situ for the MRI scan and for your bowels to be empty and bladder to be full It is important to return to the radiotherapy department after your MRI scan and see the nurse who will remove the catheter before you leave

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Further Information Further information on this and other related topics is readily available from Irish Cancer Society 43 45 Northumberland Road Dublin 4 Tel 01 2310500 Fax 01 2310555 Email helpline irishcancer ie Website www cancer ie National Cancer Helpline 1800 200 700 Action Prostate Cancer Irish Cancer Society 43 45 Northumberland Road Dublin 4 Prostate Cancer Information Service 1800 380 380 In an emergency at the weekend or after hours please call your general practitioner or your closest emergency department Beacon Hospital Sandyford Dublin 18 D18 AK68 Tel 01 293 6600 Beacon Cancer Centre Radiotherapy Dept Beacon Hospital Sandyford Dublin 18 Tel 01 2936691 Fax 01 2936657 Version 2 11 2022

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