Prostate cancer is a disease few want to talk about. Due to its location in the body, it is often difficult to treat. However, with a new radiation therapy called Calypso, the stigmas associated with prostate cancer may be reduced. In the past, radiation directed at the cancerous prostate has affected the surrounding organs, causing unpleasant sexual or gastrointestinal side effects.

The Calypso is a GPS tracking system used by doctors to specifically pinpoint prostate location at the time of radiation. The prostate often changes locations depending on the fullness of the bladder or rectum. With the Calypso, three tiny transponders are placed within the prostate at the beginning of the patients’ cancer treatment. This allows the doctors to pinpoint the prostate’s location in real time. Knowing exactly where the prostate is for treatment allows the doctors to irradiate only the affected areas of the prostate, eliminating the radiation that affects the surrounding organs. This has been shown to significantly reduce radiation therapy’s uncomfortable side effects. So far, the treatment has been used on 6,000 American men.

For more information, see the original release here.