External beam radiation treatment for prostate cancer: still the gold standard

In patients with stage A (T1) and B (T2) prostate cancer with negative lymph nodes, the 10-year outcome following treatment with external beam radiation is the same as that following radical prostatectomy. The value of external beam radiation in stage C (T3,4) prostate cancer has been demonstrated by 10- and 15-year results in thousands of patients. External beam radiation has emerged as the standard against which new therapies for locally advanced prostate cancer should be compared in prospective trials. New conformal radiation techniques are expected to further improve local control and decrease the morbidity of external beam radiation.