Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy is the recommended radiation technique for localized or locally advanced prostate cancer. In the past decades, external beam irradiation procedures have evolved in the context of technical developments of radiation and imaging equipment. The article summarizes these developments and gives a definition of new techniques and their potential advantages over conventional irradiation. It is meant to provide urologists and medical and radiation oncologists with a better comprehension of modern radiation treatment of prostate cancer and its possible improvements in the future.