Authors
You Lim Kim, Jeong Il Yu, Jae Kyung Suh
Published in
Radiation oncology journal. Volume 44. Issue 3. Pages 190-200. Epub Sep 28, 2026.
Abstract
This study aimed to systematically evaluate the clinical utility of endorectal balloons (ERB) for motion management and organ-at-risk sparing in prostate cancer patients receiving external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).
A systematic search was conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Korean databases through May 8, 2024. Primary outcomes included safety, toxicity, prostate motion, and dosimetric parameters. The risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-randomized Studies 2.0 tools. Meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.3.
Twenty-seven studies (3 prospective cohort studies, 24 retrospective studies) were included, covering 22 EBRT and 5 SBRT cohorts. Reported adverse events were mild and transient. One prospective study demonstrated a significant reduction in grade 1 late rectal toxicity (p = 0.003). ERB use significantly stabilized the prostate, reducing both intra- and interfractional motion, particularly minimizing displacements >5 mm. Meta-analysis revealed that ERB significantly lowered the mean radiation dose to the rectum (mean difference [MD], -3.40 Gy; 95% confidence interval [CI], -6.70 to -0.10) and anal wall (MD, -6.06 Gy; 95% CI, -9.78 to -2.35) in EBRT. Similarly, in SBRT, ERB was associated with reduced rectal wall dose (MD, -2.63 Gy; 95% CI, -4.49 to -0.77).
ERB appears to be a relatively safe and clinically useful adjunct for enhancing treatment precision in prostate cancer radiotherapy. By stabilizing prostate motion and reducing radiation exposure to the rectum and anal wall, ERB optimizes the therapeutic ratio.
PMID:
42810974
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Sep 2026.
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