AIMS: The α/β ratio for prostate cancer is thought to be low and less than for the rectum, which is usually the dose-limiting organ.
Hypofractionated radiotherapy should therefore improve the therapeutic ratio, increasing cure rates with less toxicity. A number of models for predicting biochemical relapse-free survival have been developed from large series of patients treated with conventional and moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to test these models when significant numbers of patients treated with profoundly hypofractionated radiotherapy were included.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review of the literature with regard to hypofractionated radiotherapy for prostate cancer was conducted, focussing on data recently presented on prostate stereotactic body radiotherapy. For the work described here, we have taken published biochemical control rates for a range of moderately and profoundly fractionated schedules and plotted these together with a range of radiobiological models, which are described.
RESULTS: The data reviewed show consistency between the various radiobiological model predictions and the currently observed data.
CONCLUSION: Current radiobiological models provide accurate predictions of biochemical relapse-free survival, even when profoundly hypofractionated patients are included in the analysis.
Written by:
Tree AC, Khoo VS, van As NJ, Partridge M. Are you the author?
Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
Reference: Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2014 Apr;26(4):216-29.
doi: 10.1016/j.clon.2014.01.008
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24529742
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