My name is Ronald Hörstmann. I was born in Lower Saxony and have spent most of my life in the Rhineland. My urologist wanted the operation to take place as early as March 8. We had a conversation about it, and right at the end he asked me, "How do we want to proceed?" So, I told him: " I'm not going to rush this decision." I wanted to make up my mind before this went any further. Then I heard about Cyberknife.

In Germany, about 65,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year – it is a very common disease. With prostate cancer, you must differentiate between the different types. Based on this, your doctors will decide if you need treatment. For low-grade tumors, the most common type of prostate cancer, there are several options – usually, conventional surgery and radiotherapy.

In recent years, Cyberknife radiosurgery has emerged as an additional option. However, before we can treat patients with this method, we must make sure that their diagnosis is suitable.

At first, I had to get used to the situation. Before the treatment started, the assistant asked me: "What kind of music do you like?" So I said: "Birdsong!" I am a bit of a birdwatcher in my free time, so that’s what I asked for. Other than that, I just let the whole thing take its course and thought to myself: "Oh well, at least they won't have to cut me open, there'll be no blood, and no injections." Since my initial consultation had gone so well, I had complete confidence in the procedure.

We carry out radiosurgical prostate treatment in close coordination with our colleagues at the Department of Urology at Klinikum Großhadern. We have established a joint protocol to identify whether a patient's condition lends itself to radiosurgery. And if the urologists come to the same conclusion, we can proceed with treatment.

Compared to other techniques, Cyberknife offers two major advantages: First, the robot's design allows us to tackle the target – i.e., the tumor – from numerous directions. With conventional radiotherapy, the tumor is typically only targeted from one plane, so Cyberknife's flexibility is a major advantage.

Second, Cyberknife's robotic arm can compensate for the patient's movements and, therefore, the target's movements. This is especially beneficial for the prostate, as it is a very dynamic organ. Thanks to Cyberknife's image-guided system, we can continuously track the tumor.

If patients with prostate cancer meet all the preliminary criteria for radiosurgical treatment, their chances of recovery are extremely high – around 90 percent.

Two things were important to me: Are there any side effects and what happens afterwards? None of the usual things you hear about cancer treatment – chemo, lengthy periods of rehab – were on the table. Those I feared the most. But Cyberknife does away with all of that, which gave me a great peace of mind.

The three major side effects that may occur relate to the bladder, the bowel and potency. Patients typically experience some discomfort during urination for the first two to three weeks after treatment. For the great majority, these issues completely subside after a short time.

Side effects related to the bowel are, fortunately, extremely rare. Major studies from the US suggest a rate of two to three percent, which is very low compared to other types of prostate cancer therapy.

There is a recent study from the US on the topic of potency. It reveals a 20 percent decrease in potency two to three years after treatment. However, most patients retain their potency very well.

I do not remember exactly, but I experienced some side effects during the first or second night after my treatment. But after three weeks, everything went back to normal – and has remained that way. I am glad that I can sit here and talk about it all so openly. In fact, I have become an advocate: I tell everyone about radiosurgery and I highly recommend it to prostate cancer patients.