Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning and Simulation

This phase III trial compares the effects of radiation therapy using RapidPlan, trademark, knowledge-based planning to human-driven planning in treating patients with prostate cancer. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors. Successful delivery of radiation requires planning to develop a treatment plan for how and where the radiation is to be delivered. RapidPlan is a knowledge-based treatment planning tool that automatically creates an optimal treatment plan based on identified targets and organs at risk for radiation exposure. Human-driven treatment planning by a dosimetrist, the current standard of care, requires significant resources and time and may vary within and among radiation centers. Giving radiation therapy with RapidPlan knowledge-based planning may have similar or less side effects compared to human-driven planning in treating patients with prostate cancer.