BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy is an increasingly preferred treatment option for localized prostate cancer, and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) a relatively established modality of therapeutic irradiation.
The present study analyzes the toxicity and biochemical efficacy of SBRT in 100 consecutive prostate cancer patients treated with CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System.
METHODS: One hundred patients were treated with SBRT at the Radiation Oncology department of San Bortolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy. All patients included in this IRB-approved protocol-driven prospective study had biopsy-proven prostate cancer. Risk category was low in 41, intermediate in 42, and high in 17 patients. The patients were treated with CyberKnife-SBRT (CK-SBRT), the prescription dose was 35 Gy in five fractions, corresponding to 92 Gy in 2-Gy fractions (alpha/beta =1.5 Gy); 29 patients also received androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).
RESULTS: Median follow-up was 36 months (range, 6--76 months). Acute Grade 2 genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in respectively 12% and 18% of the patients; there were no Grade 3 or higher acute toxicities. Late Grade 1, 2, and 3 genitourinary toxicities occurred in 4%, 3%, and 1% of the patients, respectively; late Grade 1 gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in two patients and Grade 2 toxicity in one patient; no late gastrointestinal toxicities of grade 3 or 4 were observed. Median PSA nadir was 0.45 ng/ml at 36 months for all patients. In the SBRT-monotherapy group, the median PSA nadir at 36 months was 0.62 ng/ml; in the ADT-SBRT group, it was 0.18 ng/ml. Four patients had clinical recurrence: one local, two lymph nodes, and one to the bone. Ninety-six patients had no evidence of biochemical or clinical recurrence. A benign PSA bounce of median 1.08 ng/ml occurred in 12% of the 71 SBRT monotherapy patients at a mean 23 months (range, 18--30 months).
CONCLUSIONS: In this study CK-SBRT has provided promising outcomes in localized prostate cancer with good PSA response, minimal toxicity and patient inconvenience.
Written by:
Bolzicco G, Favretto MS, Satariano N, Scremin E, Tambone C, Tasca A. Are you the author?
Departments of Radiation Oncology, San Bortolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy.
Reference: BMC Urol. 2013 Oct 17;13(1):49.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2490-13-49
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24134138
UroToday.com Prostate Cancer Section