Dose escalation improves cancer-related events at 10 years for intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer patients treated with hypofractionated high-dose-rate boost and external beam radiotherapy - Abstract

Radiation Oncology Department, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan 48073, USA.

To evaluate the 10-year outcomes of intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer patients treated with a prospective dose escalation hypofractionated trial of pelvic external beam radiation therapy (P-EBRT) with a high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy boost.

From 1992 to 2007, 472 patients were treated with a HDR boost at William Beaumont Hospital. They had at least one of the following: a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of >10 ng/ml, a Gleason score of ≥7, or clinical stage ≥T2b. Patients received 46-Gy P-EBRT and an HDR boost. The HDR dose fractionation was divided into two dose levels. The prostate biologically equivalent dose (BED) low-dose-level group received < 268 Gy, and the high-dose group received >268 Gy . Phoenix biochemical failure (BF) definition was used.

Median follow-up was 8.2 years (range, 0.4-17 years). The 10-year biochemical failure rate of 43.1% vs. 18.9%, (p < 0.001), the clinical failure rate of 23.4% vs. 7.7%, (p < 0.001), and the distant metastasis of 12.4% vs. 5.7%, (p = 0.028) were all significantly better for the high-dose level group. On Cox multivariate analysis, higher BED levels (p = 0.017; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.586), pretreatment PSA assays (p < 0.001, HR = 1.022), and Gleason scores (p = 0.004) were significant variables for reduced biochemical failure. Higher dose levels (p, 0.002; HR, 0.397) and Gleason scores (p < 0.001) were significant for clinical failure. Grade 3 genitourinary complications were 2% and 3%, respectively, and grade 3 gastrointestinal complication was < 0.5%.

This prospective trial using P-EBRT with HDR boost and hypofractionated dose escalation demonstrates a strong dose-response relationship for intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer patients. The improvement at 10 years for locoregional control with higher radiation doses (BED, > 268 Gy) has significantly decreased biochemical and clinical failures as well as distant metastasis.

Written by:
Martinez AA, Gonzalez J, Ye H, Ghilezan M, Shetty S, Kernen K, Gustafson G, Krauss D, Vicini F, Kestin L.   Are you the author?

Reference: Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2011 Feb 1;79(2):363-70.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2009.10.035

PubMed Abstract
PMID: 21195875

UroToday.com Prostate Cancer Section