Most radiation side effects are minimal and last only a short time. Side effects can, however, sometimes be severe because of rectum or bladder wall exposure to radiation. Possible side effects could include, but are not limited to: Constipation, fecal urgency, fecal incontinence, hemorrhoid, rectal bleeding.

Accuray reports that for low-risk patients the disease-free five-year survival rates are between 97% and 100%. For intermediate risk patients the rate is between 88% and 97%. And at 10 years the disease-free survival rate is 93% for low-risk patients.

Some people with enlarged prostates may be given hormone therapy to try to shrink the prostate to be able to get Cyberknife treatment. Patients who are high risk for spread to the lymph nodes or have cancer in the lymph nodes are not good candidates for Cyberknife.

“You can live on one side of the street and get a procedure, but on the other side of the street you can't,” Dr. Pearson said. At an average Medicare cost of $29,000, CyberKnife prostate treatment is not cheap. But it can be less expensive than some other radiation methods, which may cost as much as $50,000.