Clinical and treatment characteristics of secondary bladder malignancies following low dose rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To characterize the clinical course and prognosis of bladder malignancies associated with prior prostate brachytherapy SUBJECTS/PATIENTS AND METHODS: We queried our institutional database for patients with bladder cancer (BC) diagnosed between January 2005 and April 2019 who had previously undergone low dose rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy. Patients diagnosed with BC at least 1 year following LDR prostate brachytherapy with or without external beam radiation therapy were included. Clinical and disease-specific characteristics were abstracted from chart review and survival outcomes were estimated using Kaplan-Meier estimates. We compared the pathologic characteristics and prognosis of secondary BCs in our study cohort to those of BCs diagnosed after prostate cancer managed without radiation reported by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) populational database from 2005 to 2018. RESULTS: Three hundred seventy-five patients were identified with combined diagnosis of prostate cancer and BC, 51 of whom met inclusion criteria in the study cohort. Median times from brachytherapy to BC diagnosis for the study and SEER cohort were 9.5 ± 4.5 and 6.3 ± 4.1 years, respectively. Compared to the SEER cohort, significantly greater proportion of BC from the study cohort presented with high-grade (study: 78.4%, SEER: 52.3%, P = 0.0008) and with MIBC (Study BC 35.3%, SEER BC: 17.5%, P = 0.0009). The study and the SEER cohort had similar 5-year overall survival (study: 67.9%, SEER: 58.0%, P = 0.1099), and 5-year cancer-specific survival (study: 81.0%, SEER: 82.8%, P = 0.5559). The 5-year progression-free survival for the study cohort was 43.7% (95% CI: 28.8-57.7). CONCLUSION: Compared to bladder cancers following prostate cancer managed without radiation, bladder malignancies following prostate LDR brachytherapy present with higher grade and are more likely to be muscle invasive. Despite the aggressive presenting features of postprostate brachytherapy BC, there were no differences in overall and cancer-specific survival between the groups.

Salvage low dose rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer recurrence following definitive external beam radiation therapy.

PURPOSE: We sought to describe the safety and efficacy of salvage low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy for local prostate cancer recurrence following definitive RT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included patients from two prospectively maintained institutional databases who underwent salvage LDR brachytherapy for biopsy confirmed intra-prostatic recurrence following primary RT. All patients were without evidence of metastatic disease. Freedom from biochemical failure (FFbF), prostate cancer specific survival (PCaSS), and overall survival (OS) were determined using the Kaplan-Meier estimates. Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify factors predictive of FFbF. Toxicity was graded by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0. RESULTS: 108 patients were included. Median follow-up was 6.3 years. The 5- and 10-year actuarial survival outcomes were as follows: FFbF, 63.1% and 52.0%; PCaSS, 90.5% and 77.8%; OS, 80.9% and 56.7%. On multivariate modeling, increasing grade group (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.02-1.95, p = 0.036) and initial PSA at diagnosis (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.004-1.05, p = 0.022) were associated with worse FFbF. Grade 3 toxicity occurred in 16.7% of patients; including genitourinary events in 15.7% and gastrointestinal events in 2.8% of patients. IPSS scores increased following implant, peaking at 2 months (median IPSS 20, p = 0.002) and thereafter remaining elevated throughout follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Salvage LDR brachytherapy is safe and efficacious, with acceptable grade 3+ toxicity and good biochemical control on long-term follow-up. Patients with higher grade group and higher PSA at initial diagnosis may be at increased risk for biochemical failure.

Initial results of a randomized phase III trial of high dose image guided radiation with or without androgen deprivation therapy for intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Prior randomized studies have shown a survival benefit using combined androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and radiation therapy for intermediate-risk prostate cancer. However, these studies either used low doses of radiation (66.6 Gy to isocenter) or imaged guidance was not available. This study reports the initial differences for high dose image guided radiation with or without ADT. METHODS: From 2012 to 2014, 56 patients were treated with and 60 patients without 6 months of ADT (N = 116) in our phase III randomized trial for intermediate-risk prostate cancer. The primary endpoints of the current analysis are Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) scores, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) scores, and bowel or urinary adverse events (AEs, graded using CTCAE v4) with and without ADT. Treatment consisted of 81 Gy in 45 treatments (tx) or 100 Gy Pd-103 implant followed by 45 Gy in 25 tx with or without ADT. Cone-beam fiducial-based guidance was done. Statistical analysis included Fisher's exact test, chi-square test, and ANCOVA. RESULTS: Median follow-up for both groups was 2.6 years. Acute or chronic urinary and acute or chronic bowel toxicities were similar with or without ADT (acute urinary: 16 vs 25 G0-1, 39 vs 35 G2 and 1 vs 0 G3, p = 0.17; chronic urinary: 40 vs 45 G1 and 16 vs 15 G2 toxicities, p = 0.68; acute bowel: 56 vs 59 G1 and 0 vs 1 G2 toxicities, p = 0.99; chronic bowel: 56 vs 59 G1 and 0 vs 1 G2 toxicities, p = 0.99). One patient had grade 3 urinary AE (1/116 or 0.8%). No patient had grade 3 bowel AE. With the use of ADT, a temporary decline in the EPIC sexual (p = 0.004) and hormonal scores (p = 0.02) were seen for the first 3 to 6 months after the completion of radiation, but the scores recovered by 12 months. Brachytherapy plus external beam radiation was compared to external beam radiation alone; brachytherapy EPIC urinary irritative scores were temporarily lower at 3 months, 76 vs. 84 (p = 0.006), had higher IPSS scores at 3 months, 15 vs 12 (p = 0.01), and had increased acute urinary AEs (p<0.001). No difference in failures were seen with or without ADT or associated with the use of brachytherapy. SIGNIFICANCE: Low toxicity and minimal temporary bother as measured by EPIC and IPSS were seen in both arms. ADT was well-tolerated and associated with temporary changes.

Prostate cancer: the influence of stigma on quality of life and relationship satisfaction for survivors and their partners.

OBJECTIVES: Prostate cancer (PCa) stigma and its relationship to quality of life (QoL) is a relatively new finding. As the experiences of couples facing PCa are shared, the study examined the relationship between of PCa stigma, QoL, and relationship satisfaction of PCa survivors and their spouses. DESIGN: A correlational design with dyadic data was used. SAMPLE: Participants (N = 80 dyads) were PCa survivors and their spouses sampled from an oncology center and PCa support groups. METHODS: Structural equation modeling was used to assess how stigma related to the QoL and relationship satisfaction of participants. FINDINGS: Stigma had a negative association with QoL, but not relationship satisfaction. There were no significant demographic differences in regards to stigma. CONCLUSION: Overall, stigma has a relationship with the experience of couples, but not with every aspect of their experience. Implications for psychosocial providers: Implications for clinicians in regards to addressing PCa stigma with clients and areas for future research are discussed.

The influence of stigma on the quality of life for prostate cancer survivors.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of stigma on prostate cancer (PCa) survivors' quality of life. Stigma for lung cancer survivors has been the focus of considerable research (Else-Quest & Jackson, 2014); however, gaps remain in understanding the experience of PCa stigma. A cross-sectional correlational study was designed to assess the incidence of PCa stigma and its influence on the quality of life of survivors. Eighty-five PCa survivors were administered survey packets consisting of a stigma measure, a PCa-specific quality of life measure, and a demographic survey during treatment of their disease. A linear regression analysis was conducted with the data received from PCa survivors. Results indicated that PCa stigma has a significant, negative influence on the quality of life for survivors (R2 = 0.33, F(4, 80) = 11.53, p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in PCa stigma based on demographic variables (e.g., race and age). Implications for physical and mental health practitioners and researchers are discussed.

Individual patient data meta-analysis shows a significant association between the ATM rs1801516 SNP and toxicity after radiotherapy in 5456 breast and prostate cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Several small studies have indicated that the ATM rs1801516 SNP is associated with risk of normal tissue toxicity after radiotherapy. However, the findings have not been consistent. In order to test this SNP in a well-powered study, an individual patient data meta-analysis was carried out by the International Radiogenomics Consortium. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The analysis included 5456 patients from 17 different cohorts. 2759 patients were given radiotherapy for breast cancer and 2697 for prostate cancer. Eight toxicity scores (overall toxicity, acute toxicity, late toxicity, acute skin toxicity, acute rectal toxicity, telangiectasia, fibrosis and late rectal toxicity) were analyzed. Adjustments were made for treatment and patient related factors with potential impact on the risk of toxicity. RESULTS: For all endpoints except late rectal toxicity, a significantly increased risk of toxicity was found for carriers of the minor (Asn) allele with odds ratios of approximately 1.5 for acute toxicity and 1.2 for late toxicity. The results were consistent with a co-dominant pattern of inheritance. CONCLUSION: This study convincingly showed a significant association between the ATM rs1801516 Asn allele and increased risk of radiation-induced normal tissue toxicity.

Salvage brachytherapy for recurrent prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of salvage prostate brachytherapy for locally recurrent prostate cancer after external beam radiation alone. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Sixty-nine consecutive patients treated with salvage brachytherapy after a local failure were analyzed. All patients were found to have pathologic proven recurrent prostate cancer at least 2 years after initial therapy and no regional or distant disease on imaging studies. Pd-103 was used with a prescribed pD90 of 100 Gy. In total, 89.9% of patients received androgen suppression (AS) as part of their salvage therapy. Patients whose prostate-specific antigen >5.0 ng/mL while on AS were considered to have castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Patients on AS >6 months before salvage brachytherapy were considered to have delayed therapy. Patients retreated within 5 years after their initial treatment were considered to have early failures. RESULTS: Total median followup after salvage therapy was 5.0 years (0.6-13.7). From the date of salvage, 5-year biochemical control for low-risk patients was 85.6%, intermediate-risk patients 74.8%, and high-risk patients 66%. Five-year biochemical control was 73.8% for non-CRPC and 22% for CRPC cases (<0.001). Including and excluding CRPC cases, early treatment after failure vs. delayed treatment was significantly better (p<0.05). Chronic adverse events were seen in few patients, with genitourinary Grade 3 toxicity of 8.7% and no genitourinary Grade 4 or gastrointestinal Grade 3 or higher toxicities. CONCLUSIONS: A subset of failures after definitive radiation is local in nature, and excellent control is possible with salvage brachytherapy.

Genome-wide association study identifies a region on chromosome 11q14.3 associated with late rectal bleeding following radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Rectal bleeding can occur following radiotherapy for prostate cancer and negatively impacts quality of life for cancer survivors. Treatment and clinical factors do not fully predict rectal bleeding, and genetic factors may be important. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify SNPs associated with the development of late rectal bleeding following radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Logistic regression was used to test the association between 614,453 SNPs and rectal bleeding in a discovery cohort (79 cases, 289 controls), and top-ranking SNPs were tested in a replication cohort (108 cases, 673 controls) from four independent sites. RESULTS: rs7120482 and rs17630638, which tag a single locus on chromosome 11q14.3, reached genome-wide significance for association with rectal bleeding (combined p-values 5.4×10(-8) and 6.9×10(-7) respectively). Several other SNPs had p-values trending toward genome-wide significance, and a polygenic risk score including these SNPs shows a strong rank-correlation with rectal bleeding (Sommers' d=5.0×10(-12) in the replication cohort). CONCLUSIONS: This GWAS identified novel genetic markers of rectal bleeding following prostate radiotherapy. These findings could lead to the development of a predictive assay to identify patients at risk for this adverse treatment outcome so that dose or treatment modality could be modified.

A 2-stage genome-wide association study to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with development of erectile dysfunction following radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with development of erectile dysfunction (ED) among prostate cancer patients treated with radiation therapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A 2-stage genome-wide association study was performed. Patients were split randomly into a stage I discovery cohort (132 cases, 103 controls) and a stage II replication cohort (128 cases, 102 controls). The discovery cohort was genotyped using Affymetrix 6.0 genome-wide arrays. The 940 top ranking SNPs selected from the discovery cohort were genotyped in the replication cohort using Illumina iSelect custom SNP arrays. RESULTS: Twelve SNPs identified in the discovery cohort and validated in the replication cohort were associated with development of ED following radiation therapy (Fisher combined P values 2.1×10(-5) to 6.2×10(-4)). Notably, these 12 SNPs lie in or near genes involved in erectile function or other normal cellular functions (adhesion and signaling) rather than DNA damage repair. In a multivariable model including nongenetic risk factors, the odds ratios for these SNPs ranged from 1.6 to 5.6 in the pooled cohort. There was a striking relationship between the cumulative number of SNP risk alleles an individual possessed and ED status (Sommers' D P value=1.7×10(-29)). A 1-allele increase in cumulative SNP score increased the odds for developing ED by a factor of 2.2 (P value=2.1×10(-19)). The cumulative SNP score model had a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 75% for prediction of developing ED at the radiation therapy planning stage. CONCLUSIONS: This genome-wide association study identified a set of SNPs that are associated with development of ED following radiation therapy. These candidate genetic predictors warrant more definitive validation in an independent cohort.

Long-term outcomes and prognostic factors in patients treated with intraoperatively planned prostate brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: Evaluate outcomes and prognostic factors in men with localized prostate cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 3760 patients have undergone prostate seed implantation at our institution. This review is of our initial 304 consecutive patients treated before January 30, 2001. A total of 124 patients were treated with (125)I implant monotherapy and 180 with (103)Pd implant combined with 45-Gy external beam radiation therapy. RESULTS: The median followup was 10.3 years. A 10-year biochemical control for low risk (LR) was 98% , intermediate risk (IR) 94%, high risk (HR) 78%, and HR with one HR factor 88% (p < 0.001); cause-specific survival was 99%, 98%, and 84% for LR, IR, and HR, respectively (p < 0.001); No significant difference in outcome was seen for LR and IR patients (p > 0.3). On multivariate analysis, only pretreatment PSA, Gleason score, and T-stage were significant for biochemical control. Most biochemical failures occurred within 5 years (93%). CONCLUSIONS: With a minimum followup of 10 years, results are excellent and do not differ for LR or IR prostate cancer patients. HR patients are a very heterogeneous group, and excellent results can still be achieved for HR patients with only one HR feature.

Phase II trial of concurrent sunitinib and image-guided radiotherapy for oligometastases.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical data suggest that sunitinib enhances the efficacy of radiotherapy. We tested the combination of sunitinib and hypofractionated image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) in a cohort of patients with historically incurable distant metastases. METHODS: Twenty five patients with oligometastases, defined as 1-5 sites of active disease on whole body imaging, were enrolled in a phase II trial from 2/08 to 9/10. The most common tumor types treated were head and neck, liver, lung, kidney and prostate cancers. Patients were treated with the recommended phase II dose of 37.5 mg daily sunitinib (days 1-28) and IGRT 50 Gy (days 8-12 and 15-19). Maintenance sunitinib was used in 33% of patients. Median follow up was 17.5 months (range, 0.7 to 37.4 months). RESULTS: The 18-month local control, distant control, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 75%, 52%, 56% and 71%, respectively. At last follow-up, 11 (44%) patients were alive without evidence of disease, 7 (28%) were alive with distant metastases, 3 (12%) were dead from distant metastases, 3 (12%) were dead from comorbid illness, and 1 (4%) was dead from treatment-related toxicities. The incidence of acute grade ≥ 3 toxicities was 28%, most commonly myelosuppression, bleeding and abnormal liver function tests. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent sunitinib and IGRT achieves major clinical responses in a subset of patients with oligometastases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00463060.

Acceptability and preliminary feasibility of an internet/CD-ROM-based education and decision program for early-stage prostate cancer patients: randomized pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men in the United States. Management options for localized disease exist, yet an evidence-based criterion standard for treatment still has to emerge. Although 5-year survival rates approach 98%, all treatment options carry the possibility for significant side effects, such as erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. It is therefore recommended that patients be actively involved in the treatment decision process. We have developed an Internet/CD-ROM-based multimedia Prostate Interactive Educational System (PIES) to enhance patients' treatment decision making. PIES virtually mirrors a health center to provide patients with information about prostate cancer and its treatment through an intuitive interface, using videos, animations, graphics, and texts. OBJECTIVES: (1) To examine the acceptability and feasibility of the PIES intervention and to report preliminary outcomes of the program in a pilot trial among patients with a new prostate cancer diagnosis, and (2) to explore the potential impact of tailoring PIES treatment information to participants' information-seeking styles on study outcomes. METHODS: Participants (n = 72) were patients with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer who had not made a treatment decision. Patients were randomly assigned to 3 experimental conditions: (1) control condition (providing information through standard National Cancer Institute brochures; 26%), and PIES (2) with tailoring (43%) and (3) without tailoring to a patient's information-seeking style (31%). Questionnaires were administrated before (t1) and immediately after the intervention (t2). Measurements include evaluation and acceptability of the PIES intervention, monitoring/blunting information-seeking style, psychological distress, and decision-related variables (eg, decisional confidence, feeling informed about prostate cancer and treatment, and treatment preference). RESULTS: The PIES program was well accepted by patients and did not interfere with the clinical routine. About 79% of eligible patients (72/91) completed the pre- and post-PIES intervention assessments. Patients in the PIES groups compared with those in the control condition were significantly more likely to report higher levels of confidence in their treatment choices, higher levels of helpfulness of the information they received in making a treatment decision, and that the information they received was emotionally reassuring. Patients in the PIES groups compared with those in the control condition were significantly less likely to need more information about treatment options, were less anxious about their treatment choices, and thought the information they received was clear (P < .05). Tailoring PIES information to information-seeking style was not related to decision-making variables. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study confirms that the implementation of PIES within a clinical practice is feasible and acceptable to patients with a recent diagnosis of prostate cancer. PIES improved key decision-making process variables and reduced the emotional impact of a difficult medical decision.

Update on prostate brachytherapy: long-term outcomes and treatment-related morbidity.

Current research in prostate brachytherapy focuses on five key concepts covered in this review. Transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate brachytherapy assisted by intraoperative treatment planning is the most advanced form of image-guided radiation delivery. Prostate brachytherapy alone for low-risk prostate cancer achieves lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadirs than intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) or protons while maintaining durable biochemical control in about 90% of patients without late failures seen in surgically treated patients. As an organ-conserving treatment option, seed implant results in a lower rate of erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence than surgery that has been validated in several recent prospective studies. Combined IMRT and seed implant has emerged as a rational and highly effective approach to radiation-dose escalation for intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer. Preliminary results suggest that seed implantation may play a role in improving outcomes for historically poor-prognosis locally advanced and recurrent prostate cancers.

Effect of radiotherapy planning complexity on survival of elderly patients with unresected localized lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether complex radiotherapy (RT) planning was associated with improved outcomes in a cohort of elderly patients with unresected Stage I-II non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry linked to Medicare claims, we identified 1998 patients aged >65 years with histologically confirmed, unresected stage I-II NSCLC. Patients were classified into an intermediate or complex RT planning group using Medicare physician codes. To address potential selection bias, we used propensity score modeling. Survival of patients who received intermediate and complex simulation was compared using Cox regression models adjusting for propensity scores and in a stratified and matched analysis according to propensity scores. RESULTS: Overall, 25% of patients received complex RT planning. Complex RT planning was associated with better overall (hazard ratio 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.95) and lung cancer-specific (hazard ratio 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.93) survival after controlling for propensity scores. Similarly, stratified and matched analyses showed better overall and lung cancer-specific survival of patients treated with complex RT planning. CONCLUSIONS: The use of complex RT planning is associated with improved survival among elderly patients with unresected Stage I-II NSCLC. These findings should be validated in prospective randomized controlled trials.

Young men have equivalent biochemical outcomes compared with older men after treatment with brachytherapy for prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate retrospectively the biochemical outcomes of young men treated with low-dose-rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From 1990 to 2005, 1,665 men with clinically localized prostate cancer were treated with low-dose-rate brachytherapy +/- hormone therapy (HT) +/- external beam radiotherapy and underwent > or = 2 years of follow-up. Patients were stratified on the basis of age: < or = 60 (n = 378) and >60 years (n = 1,287). Biochemical failure was defined as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir plus 2 ng/mL. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the association of variables with freedom from biochemical failure (FFbF). RESULTS: Median follow-up was 68 months (range, 24-180) for men < or = 60 years and 66 months (range, 24-200) for men >60. For the entire group, the actuarial 5- and 8-year FFbF rates were 94% and 88%, respectively. Men < or = 60 demonstrated similar 5- and 8-year FFbF (95% and 92%) compared with men >60 (93% and 87%; p = 0.071). A larger percent of young patients presented with low-risk disease; lower clinical stage, Gleason score (GS), and pretreatment PSA values; were treated after 1997; did not receive any HT; and had a high biologic effective dose (BED) of radiation (all ps <0.001). On multivariate analysis, PSA (p = 0.001), GS (p = 0.005), and BED (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with FFbF, but age was not (p = 0.665). CONCLUSION: Young men achieve excellent 5- and 8-year biochemical control rates that are comparable to those of older men after prostate brachytherapy. Young age should not be a deterrent when considering brachytherapy as a primary treatment option for clinically localized prostate cancer.

Local control following permanent prostate brachytherapy: effect of high biologically effective dose on biopsy results and oncologic outcomes.

PURPOSE: To determine factors that influence local control and systemic relapse in patients undergoing permanent prostate brachytherapy (PPB). METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 584 patients receiving PPB alone or PPB with external beam radiation therapy (19.5%) agreed to undergo prostate biopsy (PB) at 2 years postimplantion and yearly if results were positive or if the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level increased. Short-term hormone therapy was used with 280 (47.9%) patients. Radiation doses were converted to biologically effective doses (BED) (using alpha/beta = 2). Comparisons were made by chi-square analysis and linear regression. Survival was determined by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The median PSA concentration was 7.1 ng/ml, and the median follow-up period was 7.1 years. PB results were positive for 48/584 (8.2%) patients. Positive biopsy results by BED group were as follows: 22/121 (18.2%) patients received a BED of < or =150 Gy; 15/244 (6.1%) patients received >150 to 200 Gy; and 6/193 (3.1%; p < 0.001) patients received >200 Gy. Significant associations of positive PB results by risk group were low-risk group BED (p = 0.019), intermediate-risk group hormone therapy (p = 0.011) and BED (p = 0.040), and high-risk group BED (p = 0.004). Biochemical freedom from failure rate at 7 years was 82.7%. Biochemical freedom from failure rate by PB result was 84.7% for negative results vs. 59.2% for positive results (p < 0.001). Cox regression analysis revealed significant associations with BED (p = 0.038) and PB results (p = 0.002) in low-risk patients, with BED (p = 0.003) in intermediate-risk patients, and with Gleason score (p = 0.006), PSA level (p < 0.001), and PB result (p = 0.038) in high-risk patients. Fifty-three (9.1%) patients died, of which eight deaths were due to prostate cancer. Cause-specific survival was 99.2% for negative PB results vs. 87.6% for positive PB results (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Higher radiation doses are required to achieve local control following PPB. A BED of >200 Gy with an alpha/beta ratio of 2 yields 96.9% local control rate. Failure to establish local control impacts survival.

Does neoadjuvant hormonal therapy improve urinary function when given to men with large prostates undergoing prostate brachytherapy?

PURPOSE: We evaluated the effect of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy on urinary function in men with a prostate volume of 50 cc or greater undergoing prostate brachytherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 395 men with 50 cc or greater glands were treated with 3 months of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (204) or implantation alone (191). Urinary function was assessed by the International Prostate Symptom Score, the urinary retention incidence and subsequent transurethral prostate resection. RESULTS: Median patient age was 67 years and median followup was 6 years. Mean prostate volume in neoadjuvant hormonal therapy cases was 72.9 cc, which decreased to 54.3 cc after 3 months (p <0.001). Mean prostate volume in cases without hormonal therapy was 60.6 cc (p <0.001). Urinary retention occurred in 16 of 191 men (8.4%) without vs 25 of 204 (12.3%) with hormonal therapy (p = 0.207). The median duration of urinary retention was 42 days (range 2 to 243). There were no significant associations of urinary retention with prostate size, prostate or urethral dose, or pre-implantation International Prostate Symptom Score. Of patients without hormonal therapy retention occurred in 3 of 12 (25%) with a pre-implantation International Prostate Symptom Score of 15 or greater and in 13 of 168 (7.7%) with a score of less than 15 (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1-16, p = 0.04). In contrast, there was no difference in the retention rate in patients with hormonal therapy with an initial score of 15 or greater vs less than 15 (2 of 25 or 8% vs 11 of 102 or 10.8%, p = 0.614). Transurethral prostate resection was done in 11 of 191 men (5.8%) without vs 12 of 204 (5.9%) with hormonal therapy (p = 0.958). There was no difference in biochemical failure in the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy has its greatest benefit in patients receiving brachytherapy who have a large prostate and an International Prostate Symptom Score of 15 or greater.

Do high radiation doses in locally advanced prostate cancer patients treated with 103Pd implant plus external beam irradiation cause increased urinary, rectal, and sexual morbidity?

PURPOSE: To investigate the morbidity of higher radiation doses in prostate cancer patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Five hundred eighty-five men treated with seed implantation and external beam irradiation were followed a median of 5 years (range, 2-11). Hormonal therapy (HT) of 9 months duration was used in 504 (86.2%) patients. The biologic effective dose (BED) was calculated using an alpha/beta of 2. Urinary incontinence (UI) and symptoms (IPSS) were prospectively collected. Rectal morbidity was scored according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scale. Two BED dose groups of 220 Gy (n=136) were used. Comparisons of means were made by Student's t test, and the associations were tested by chi-square analysis (Pearson). RESULTS: Urinary retention developed in 36 (6.2%) and was not associated with BED or IPSS. Retention occurred more often with prostate volume >50 cc (17%, p=0.001). The median change in urinary symptoms (IPSS) was 1. Sixty-one percent with high BED were more likely to have increased postimplant symptoms compared with 39% with lower BED (p=0.025; odds ratio [OR], 1.107; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.21). UI occurred in 25 patients (4.3%) and was only associated with a postimplant transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) (n=25), 16% vs. 2.3% for no TURP (p=0.001; OR, 8; 95% CI, 2.4-27). Of the 373 patients initially potent, 204 (54.7%) maintained potency. Impotence was only associated with age at implant (p=0.001) and HT (p=0.004). Sixty-two (10.6%) patients had Grade 1-2 and 4 patients had Grade 3-4 (0.7%, 2 ulcers and 2 fistulas) rectal complications. Three of the Grade 3/4 complications occurred with a dose 220 Gy does not seem to increase morbidity.

Phase 1 study of concurrent sunitinib and image-guided radiotherapy followed by maintenance sunitinib for patients with oligometastases: acute toxicity and preliminary response.

BACKGROUND: To determine the safety and maximum-tolerated dose of concurrent sunitinib and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) followed by maintenance sunitinib in oligometastastic patients. METHODS: Eligible patients had 1 to 5 sites of metastatic cancer measuring

Outcomes for patients with high-grade prostate cancer treated with a combination of brachytherapy, external beam radiotherapy and hormonal therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcomes for patients with Gleason score 8-10 prostate cancer treated with brachytherapy, external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and hormonal therapy (HT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 181 patients with Gleason scores 8-10 prostate cancer were treated from 1994 to 2006 with a (103)Pd implant (prescription dose 100 Gy), 45 Gy of EBRT and 9 months of HT. The median (range) follow-up was 65 (24-150) months; freedom from biochemical failure (FBF) rates were calculated using the Phoenix definition. RESULTS: The 8-year actuarial FBF, freedom from distant metastases, prostate-cancer specific survival and overall survival were 73%, 80%, 87% and 79%, respectively. The pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level significantly affected FBF, with 8-year rates of 72%, 82% and 58% for patients with PSA level of 10-20 and >20 ng/mL, respectively (P = 0.006). The PSA level had no significant effect on rates of distant metastases. The Gleason score had the most significant affect on FBF in a multivariate analysis, and was the only factor to significantly affect rates of distant metastases; the 8-year FBF rates were 84%, 55% and 30% for scores of 8, 9 and 10, respectively (P = 0.003). The corresponding freedom from distant metastases and prostate-cancer specific survival rates were 86%, 76%, 30% (P < 0.001) and 92%, 80%, 62.5% (P = 0.003), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The 8-year outcomes after this regimen showed favourable biochemical and distant control, as well disease-specific survival rates for patients with Gleason scores of 8-10. This treatment approach should be considered as a viable option for this subset of patients with high-risk disease.