Press release

Prostate cancer: initial results from the Belgian StereoBed study pave the way for radiotherapy in just five sessions following surgery

20/10/2026

Brussels, 20 October 2026 – With Movember, the month dedicated to raising awareness of men’s cancers, just a few days away, the results of the Belgian StereoBed study offer an encouraging outlook for patients with prostate cancer.

Presented at the ASTRO International Congress, the results of the Phase II trial confirm the safety and good tolerability of a significantly shortened course of radiotherapy for patients who have experienced a recurrence following surgery.

Reducing a radiotherapy course from several weeks to just five sessions, without increasing side effects: this is the aim of the Belgian StereoBedclinical trial , coordinated by the Jules Bordet Institute (H.U.B). The final results of the Phase II trial show that this innovative approach is safe and well tolerated by patients. These findings have been selected for an oral presentation at the annual congress ofthe American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), one of the most prestigious scientific events in the field of radiotherapy.

Shorter radiotherapy courses for patients

Following a prostatectomy, some patients experience a biological recurrence of prostate cancer and require additional radiotherapy. Currently, this treatment generally takes several weeks and involves numerous visits to hospital.

The StereoBed study is evaluating an innovative alternative: delivering radiotherapy using a high-precision stereotactic technique in just five sessions, compared with 20 to 35 sessions with conventional treatments.

This significant reduction in treatment duration could improve patient comfort, minimise the inconvenience of travel and optimise the organisation of care. The study is supported by ‘Kom op tegen kanker’ and the Jules Bordet Association.

Encouraging results

The Phase II results relate to the first 62 patients enrolled in the study.

Six months after their treatment, the researchers observed no increase in urinary or digestive symptoms in patients who received radiotherapy in five sessions compared with those who received the standard treatment. The side effects observed remained mild in both groups and no safety concerns were identified. These results confirmed that the study could continue as planned.

International recognition

The quality of these initial results led to their selection for an oral presentation at the ASTRO Annual Meeting, held this year in Boston.

This selection represents significant recognition for the Belgian teams involved in StereoBed and highlights the international scientific community’s interest in this therapeutic approach.

The study continues

StereoBed is a Belgian multicentre Phase II-III trial comparing conventional radiotherapy with stereotactic radiotherapy delivered in five sessions in patients with biological recurrence following a prostatectomy.

Phase III is currently recruiting patients across 13 Belgian hospitals and will determine, in the longer term, whether this strategy is as effective as the standard treatment whilst maintaining an excellent quality of life for patients.