BACKGROUND: To evaluate early urinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) adverse events (AEs) after two or one fraction of high-dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) in advanced prostate cancer.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: 165 patients were treated with 2×13Gy (n=115), or a single dose of 19Gy (n=24) or 20Gy (n=26) HDR-BT. Early AEs were assessed using the RTOG scoring system and the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS).
RESULTS: Week-2 prevalence of severe IPSS symptoms was higher after 20Gy than after 26 or 19Gy but by 12weeks all groups were at pre-treatment levels or less. Grade-3 GU toxicity was observed ⩽ 9% of patients. No Grade 4 GU and no Grade 3 or 4 GI complications were observed. However, there was a significant increase in catheter use in the first 12weeks after implant after 19 and 20Gy compared with 2×13Gy.
CONCLUSION: Single dose HDR-BT is feasible with acceptable levels of acute complications; tolerance may have been reached with the single 19Gy schedule.
Written by:
Hoskin P, Rojas A, Ostler P, Hughes R, Alonzi R, Lowe G, Bryant L. Are you the author?
Cancer Centre, Mount Vernon Hospital, Middlesex, UK.
Reference: Radiother Oncol. 2013 Nov 11. pii: S0167-8140(13)00517-3.
doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2013.09.025
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24231242
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