Patient-reported persistent symptoms after radiotherapy and association with quality of life for prostate cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the persistence of symptoms after radiotherapy (RT) for localised prostate cancer (PCa) and the association with quality of life (QOL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective patient-reported outcome (PRO) from a multi-institutional study on PCa treated with radical RT (2010-2014) was analysed. Data was collected at baseline (BL) and follow-ups (FUPs) up to 5 years. Patients with BL and ≥3 late FUPs (≥6 months) were analysed. PRO was scored by means of the IPSS and ICIQ-SF (urinary), LENT-SOMA (gastrointestinal [GI]), and EORTC-C30 (pain, insomnia, fatigue, and QOL) questionnaires. Symptoms were defined 'persistent' if the median score over FUPs was ≥3 (urinary) or ≥2 (GI, pain, insomnia, and fatigue), and worse than BL. Different thresholds were chosen to have enough events for each symptom. QOL was linearly transformed on a continuous scale (0-100). Linear-mixed models were used to identify significant differences between groups with and without persistent symptoms including age, smoking status, previous abdominal surgery, and diabetes as confounders. Mean QOL differences between groups were evaluated longitudinally over FUPs. RESULTS: The analysis included 293 patients. Persistent urinary symptoms ranged from 2% (straining) to 12% (weak stream, and nocturia). Gastrointestinal symptoms ranged from 7% (rectal pain, and incontinence) to 30% (urgency). Proportions of pain, insomnia, and fatigue were 6, 13, and 18%. Significant QOL differences of small-to-medium clinical relevance were found for urinary incontinence, frequency, urgency, and nocturia. Among GI symptoms, rectal pain and incontinence showed small-to-medium differences. Fatigue was associated with the largest differences. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis showed that symptoms after RT for PCa occur with different persistence and their association with QOL varies in magnitude. A number of persistent urinary and GI symptoms showed differences in a comparable range. Urinary incontinence and frequency, rectal pain, and faecal incontinence more often had significant associations. Fatigue was also prevalent and associated with largely deteriorated QOL.

How to implement the requirements of a quality assurance system for prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: In 2003, the German Cancer Society (Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft, DKG) launched a certification program aimed at improving the quality of cancer care. The purpose of this article is to describe the experience of the Prostate Cancer Unit (PCU) at Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, in the process towards DKG certification. METHODS: In 2018, PCU decided to apply for certification by adopting DKG catalogue of requirements (CoR) and quality indicators. A multiprofessional working group was established with the aim of acting the necessary steps to meet DKG standards. RESULTS: Our organizational setting (procedures, personnel) and activities were accurately analyzed, thus outlining strengths and weaknesses, and modified to comply with DKG CoR and indicators. As examples, (1) a quality management plan was developed; (2) measures were taken to strengthen the surgical expertise; (3) cases evaluated in weekly tumor boards were expanded to include surgical cases with pathological risk factors, metastatic, relapsed and castration-resistant patients; (4) a survey was added to the patient-dedicated initiatives already scheduled; (5) the TuDoc software became the tool to register all new cases of prostate cancer patients referred to PCU. CONCLUSIONS: The process of certification requires many efforts but represents a unique opportunity of improving quality of care of prostate cancer patients, making it comparable on an international scale.

Intestinal microbiota composition is predictive of radiotherapy-induced acute gastrointestinal toxicity in prostate cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The search for factors beyond the radiotherapy dose that could identify patients more at risk of developing radio-induced toxicity is essential to establish personalised treatment protocols for improving the quality-of-life of survivors. To investigate the role of the intestinal microbiota in the development of radiotherapy-induced gastrointestinal toxicity, the MicroLearner observational cohort study characterised the intestinal microbiota of 136 (discovery) and 79 (validation) consecutive prostate cancer patients at baseline radiotherapy. METHODS: Gastrointestinal toxicity was assessed weekly during RT using CTCAE. An average grade >1.3 over time points was used to identify patients suffering from persistent acute toxicity (endpoint). The microbiota of patients was quantified from the baseline faecal samples using 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology and the Ion Reporter metagenomic pipeline. Statistical techniques and computational and machine learning tools were used to extract, functionally characterise, and predict core features of the bacterial communities of patients who developed acute gastrointestinal toxicity. FINDINGS: Analysis of the core bacterial composition in the discovery cohort revealed a cluster of patients significantly enriched for toxicity, displaying a toxicity rate of 60%. Based on selected high-risk microbiota compositional features, we developed a clinical decision tree that could effectively predict the risk of toxicity based on the relative abundance of genera Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Alistipes, Prevotella and Phascolarctobacterium both in internal and external validation cohorts. INTERPRETATION: We provide evidence showing that intestinal bacteria profiling from baseline faecal samples can be effectively used in the clinic to improve the pre-radiotherapy assessment of gastrointestinal toxicity risk in prostate cancer patients. FUNDING: Italian Ministry of Health (Promotion of Institutional Research INT-year 2016, 5 × 1000, Ricerca Corrente funds). Fondazione Regionale per la Ricerca Biomedica (ID 2721017). AIRC (IG 21479).

Worsening of 2-year patient-reported intestinal functionality after radiotherapy for prostate cancer including pelvic node irradiation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To quantify patient-reported 2-year intestinal toxicity (IT) from pelvic nodal irradiation (PNI) for prostate cancer. The association between baseline/acute symptoms and 2-year worsening was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patient-reported IT was prospectively assessed through the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ), filled in at baseline, radiotherapy mid-point and end, at 3 and 6 months and every 6 months until 5 years. Two-year deterioration of IBDQ scores relative to the Bowel Domain was investigated for 400 patients with no severe baseline symptoms and with questionnaires available at baseline, 2 years, RT mid-point and/or end and at least three follow-ups between 3 and 18 months. The significance of the 2-year differences from baseline was tested. The association between baseline values and ΔAcute (the worst decline between baseline and RT mid-point/end) was investigated. RESULTS: In the IBDQ lower scores indicate worse symptoms. A significant (p < 0.0001) 2-year mean worsening, mostly in the range of -0.2/-0.4 points on a 1-7 scale, emerged excepting one question (IBDQ29, "nausea/feeling sick"). This decline was independent of treatment intent while baseline values were associated with 2-year absolute scores. The ΔAcute largely modulated 2-year worsening: patients with ΔAcute greater than the first quartile (Q1) and ΔAcute less or equal than Q1 showed no/minimal and highly significant (p < 0.0001) deterioration, respectively. Rectal incontinence, urgency, frequency and abdominal pain showed the largest mean changes (-0.5/-1): risk of severe worsening (deemed to be of clinical significance if ≤ 2) was 3-5 fold higher in the ΔAcute ≤ Q1 vs ΔAcute > Q1 group (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: A modest but significant deterioration of two-year patient-reported intestinal symptoms from PNI compared to baseline was found. Patients experiencing more severe acute symptoms are at higher risk of symptom persistence at 2 years, with a much larger prevalence of clinically significant symptoms.

Patient-Factors Influencing the 2-Year Trajectory of Mental and Physical Health in Prostate Cancer Patients.

This study aimed to examine the physical and mental Quality of Life (QoL) trajectories in prostate cancer (PCa) patients participating in the Pros-IT CNR study. QoL was assessed using the Physical (PCS) and Mental Component Score (MCS) of Short-Form Health Survey upon diagnosis and two years later. Growth mixture models were applied on 1158 patients and 3 trajectories over time were identified for MCS: 75% of patients had constantly high scores, 13% had permanently low scores and 12% starting with low scores had a recovery; the predictors that differentiated the trajectories were age, comorbidities, a family history of PCa, and the bowel, urinary and sexual functional scores at diagnosis. In the physical domain, 2 trajectories were defined: 85% of patients had constantly high scores, while 15% started with low scores and had a further slight decrease. Two years after diagnosis, the psychological and physical status was moderately compromised in more than 10% of PCa patients. For mental health, the trajectory analysis suggested that following the compromised patients at diagnosis until treatment could allow identification of those more vulnerable, for which a level 2 intervention with support from a non-oncology team supervised by a clinical psychologist could be of help.

Radiotherapy after testis-sparing surgery for seminoma in monorchid patients: safety and efficacy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate local control and longitudinal endocrine data in monorchid patients treated with testicular-sparing surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for seminomatous germ-cell tumors. METHODS: We searched our database established in 2009 for patients with seminoma who received testis irradiation following partial orchiectomy up to 2018. Eleven patients were identified. All had associated germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS) in surrounding parenchyma. Analysis focused on local control and testosterone levels preservation after RT. We considered age, baseline (pre-RT) testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, residual testicular volume, tumor size, and testosterone and LH levels trend over time in order to identify any association with endocrine impairment leading to hormonal replacement need. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 21 months, no local or distant relapses were observed and hormonal function was maintained in 54.5% of patients (6/11). No significant interactions were observed for the investigated covariates. Notably, we observed an association between higher baseline testosterone levels and a decreased risk of exogenous androgen replacement (hazard ratio [HR] 0.409, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.161-1.039, p = 0.060), whereas tumor size was associated with an increased risk of exogenous androgen replacement (HR 1.847, 95% CI 0.940-3.627, p = 0.075). CONCLUSIONS: Radiotherapy after testicular sparing surgery is effective in preventing local disease relapse in presence of GCNIS in the medium term. This strategy allows a preservation of adequate endocrine function in about half of patients. More patients and longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.

Accurate prediction of long-term risk of biochemical failure after salvage radiotherapy including the impact of pelvic node irradiation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Explainable models of long-term risk of biochemical failure (BF) after post-prostatectomy salvage radiotherapy (SRT) are lacking. A previously introduced radiobiology-based formula was adapted to incorporate the impact of pelvic nodes irradiation (PNI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The risk of post-SRT BF may be expressed by a Poisson-based equation including pre-SRT PSA, the radiosensitivity α, the clonogen density C, the prescribed dose (in terms of EQD2, α/ß = 1.5 Gy) and a factor (1-BxλxPSA) accounting for clonogens outside the irradiated volume, being λ the recovery due to PNI. Data of 795 pT2-pT3, pN0/pN1/pNx (n = 627/94/74) patients with follow-up ≥ 5 years and pre-RT PSA ≤ 2 ng/mL were randomly split into training (n = 528) and validation (n = 267) cohorts; the training cohort data were fitted by the least square method. Separate fits were performed for different risk groups. Model performances were assessed by calibration plots and tested in the validation group. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 8.5y, median pre-SRT PSA and EQD2 were 0.43 ng/mL and 71.3 Gy respectively; 331/795 pts received PNI. The most clinically significant prognostic grouping was pT3b and/or ISUP4-5 versus pT2/3a and ISUP1-3. Best-fit parameters were αeff = 0.26/0.23 Gy-1, C = 107/107, B = 0.40/0.97, λ = 0.87/0.41 for low/high-risk group. Performances were confirmed in the validation group (slope = 0.89,R2 = 0.85). Results suggested optimal SRT dose at 70-74 Gy. The estimated reduction of post-SRT BF due to PNI at these dose values was > 5 % for PSA > 1/>0.15 ng/mL for low/high-risk patients, being > 10 % for high-risk patients with pre-SRT PSA > 0.25 ng/mL. CONCLUSION: An explainable one-size-fits-all equation satisfactorily predicts long-term risk of post-SRT BF. The model was independently validated. A calculator tool was made available.

Predictors of Patient-Reported Incontinence at Adjuvant/Salvage Radiotherapy after Prostatectomy: Impact of Time between Surgery and Radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Baseline urinary incontinence (UI) strongly modulates UI recovery after adjuvant/salvage radiotherapy (ART/SRT), inducing clinicians to postpone it "as much as possible", maximizing UI recovery but possibly reducing efficacy. This series aims to analyze the trend of UI recovery and its predictors at radiotherapy start. METHODS: A population of 408 patients treated with ART/SRT enrolled in a cohort study (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT02803086) aimed at developing predictive models of radiation-induced toxicities. Self-reported UI and personality traits, evaluated by means of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire - Revised (EPQ-R) questionnaires, were assessed at ART/SRT start. Several endpoints based on baseline ICIQ-SF were investigated: frequency and amount of urine loss (ICIQ3 and ICIQ4, respectively), "objective" UI (ICIQ3 + 4), "subjective" UI (ICIQ5), and "TOTAL" UI (ICIQ3 +4 + 5). The relationship between each endpoint and time from prostatectomy to radiotherapy (TTRT) was investigated. The association between clinical and personality variables and each endpoint was tested by uni- and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: TTRT was the strongest predictor for all endpoints (p-values ≤ 0.001); all scores improved between 4 and 8 months after prostatectomy, without any additional long-term recovery. Neuroticism independently predicted subjective UI, TOTAL UI, and daily frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Early UI recovery mostly depends on TTRT with no further improvement after 8 months from prostatectomy. Higher levels of neuroticism may overestimate UI.

Acute patient-reported intestinal toxicity in whole pelvis IMRT for prostate cancer: Bowel dose-volume effect quantification in a multicentric cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To assess bowel dose-volume relationships for acute patient-reported intestinal symptoms of patients treated with whole-pelvis intensity-modulated radiotherapy (WPRT) for prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Complete data of 415 patients enrolled in a multi institute, prospective trial (#NCT02803086) treated with radical (31%), adjuvant (33%) and salvage (36%) intent at a median dose to pelvic nodes/lymph-nodal area of 53 Gy were available. The most severe changes between baseline and radiotherapy mid-point/end toxicity assessed by Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (only Bowel Domain) were considered (ΔIBDQ). The 25th percentile values of these score variations were set as endpoints. DVHs of bowel loops for patients with/without toxicity were compared for each endpoint, having excluded patients with baseline scores <5 (rate ranging between 2% and 7% according to the endpoint): the resulting best dosimetric predictors were combined with selected clinical parameters through multivariate logistic regression (MVA) to derive predictive models. RESULTS: ΔIBDQ ranged between 0.2-1.5 points considering separately each IBDQ symptom. Only four symptoms (IBDQ1 = frequency, IBDQ5 = diarrhea, IBDQ17 = gas passage, IBDQ24 = urgency) showed a median worsening ≥ 1; DVH predicted the risk of worse symptoms for IBDQ5, IBDQ24 and overall Bowel Domain. At multivariable analysis DVHs (best cut-off: V46Gy ≥80 cc) and baseline scores (Odd-Ratio:0.35-0.65) were independently associated to the three end-points. The resulting models were reliable (H&L test: 0.453-0.956), well calibrated (calibration plot: slope = 0.922-1.069, R2 = 0.725-0.875) and moderately discriminative (Area Under the Curve:0.628-0.669). A bootstrap-based validation confirmed their robustness. CONCLUSION: Constraining the bowel loops (V46 < 80 cc) may reduce the risk of several moderate intestinal symptoms, with a much greater impact for patients with lower IBDQ baseline scores.

Defining the Most Informative Intermediate Clinical Endpoints for Patients Treated with Salvage Radiotherapy for Prostate-specific Antigen Rise After Radical Prostatectomy.

Intermediate clinical endpoints (ICEs) might aid in trial design and potentially expedite study results. However, little is known about the most informative ICE for patients receiving salvage radiation therapy (sRT) after radical prostatectomy. To investigate the most informative ICE for patients receiving sRT, we used a multi-institutional database encompassing patients treated at eight tertiary centers. Overall, 1301 men with node-negative disease who had not received any form of androgen deprivation therapy were identified. Associations of biochemical (BCR) and clinical recurrence (CR) within 1, 3, 5, and 7yr after surgery with the risk of overall mortality were evaluated using multivariable Cox regression analyses fitted at the landmark points of 1, 3, 5, and 7yr after sRT. The discriminative ability of each model for predicting overall survival (OS) was assessed using Harrell's c index. Median follow-up for survivors was 5.6yr (interquartile range 2.0-8.8). On multivariable analysis, progression to CR within 3yr from sRT (hazard ratio 4.19, 95% confidence interval 1.44-11.2; p= 0.008) was the most informative ICE for predicting OS (c index 0.78) compared to CR within 1, 5, and 7yr (c index 0.72, 0.75, and 0.71). In conclusion, progression to CR within 3yr after sRT, irrespective of the time of surgery, was the most informative ICE for prediction of OS. Our study is hypothesis-generating. If these results are confirmed in future prospective studies and surrogacy is met, this information could be applied for study design and could potentially expedite earlier release of results from ongoing randomized controlled trials. PATIENT SUMMARY: Clinical recurrence of prostate cancer within 3yr after salvage radiation therapy, irrespective of the time of radical prostatectomy, represents the most informative intermediate clinical endpoint for the prediction of overall survival. This information could be applied in the design of future studies and could potentially expedite earlier release of results from ongoing randomized controlled trials.

Development of a method for generating SNP interaction-aware polygenic risk scores for radiotherapy toxicity.

AIM: To identify the effect of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) interactions on the risk of toxicity following radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer (PCa) and propose a new method for polygenic risk score incorporating SNP-SNP interactions (PRSi). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analysis included the REQUITE PCa cohort that received external beam RT and was followed for 2 years. Late toxicity endpoints were: rectal bleeding, urinary frequency, haematuria, nocturia, decreased urinary stream. Among 43 literature-identified SNPs, the 30% most strongly associated with each toxicity were tested. SNP-SNP combinations (named SNP-allele sets) seen in ≥10% of the cohort were condensed into risk (RS) and protection (PS) scores, respectively indicating increased or decreased toxicity risk. Performance of RS and PS was evaluated by logistic regression. RS and PS were then combined into a single PRSi evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: Among 1,387 analysed patients, toxicity rates were 11.7% (rectal bleeding), 4.0% (urinary frequency), 5.5% (haematuria), 7.8% (nocturia) and 17.1% (decreased urinary stream). RS and PS combined 8 to 15 different SNP-allele sets, depending on the toxicity endpoint. Distributions of PRSi differed significantly in patients with/without toxicity with AUCs ranging from 0.61 to 0.78. PRSi was better than the classical summed PRS, particularly for the urinary frequency, haematuria and decreased urinary stream endpoints. CONCLUSIONS: Our method incorporates SNP-SNP interactions when calculating PRS for radiotherapy toxicity. Our approach is better than classical summation in discriminating patients with toxicity and should enable incorporating genetic information to improve normal tissue complication probability models.

Predictors of 2-Year Incidence of Patient-Reported Urinary Incontinence After Post-prostatectomy Radiotherapy: Evidence of Dose and Fractionation Effects.

Objective: To investigate predictors of patient-reported urinary incontinence (PRUI) in the first 2 years after post-prostatectomy radiotherapy (PORT) with particular emphasis on possible dose-effect relationships. Patients and Methods: Two-hundred-thirteen patients, whose clinical and dosimetric data were prospectively collected within a registered multi-institutional cohort study, underwent PORT with adjuvant (n = 106) or salvage (n = 107) intent with conventional (n = 123, prescribed dose to the prostatic bed: 66.6-79.8Gy in 1.8-2.0Gy/fr) or moderately hypo- (n = 90, 65.8-76.8Gy in 2.1-2.7Gy/fr) fractionation during the period 2011-2017. PRUI was evaluated through the ICIQ-SF questionnaire filled in at baseline and every 6 months thereafter. The analysis focused on three ICIQ-based clinically relevant endpoints: (a) very frequent leakage (FREQUENCY, ICIQ3 score >3), (b) moderate to severe amount of urine loss (AMOUNT, ICIQ4>2) (c) objective severe symptoms (OBJECTIVE, ICIQ3+4>5). Predictors of the incidence within 2 years for the three endpoints were investigated focusing only on patients without endpoint symptoms at baseline. A uni-variable logistic regression analysis was performed in order to determine the best dose metrics describing PRUI risk in terms of 2-Gy equivalent dose (EQD2) calculated with different α/ß values reported in the literature (0.8, 3, 5Gy), and to identify the most significant clinical variables. Variables showing p < 0.20 at uni-variable analysis were entered into a backward stepwise multi-variable logistic regression analysis. Lastly, the goodness of fit and model calibration were evaluated and internally validated. Results: Patients without symptoms at baseline experienced (a), (b), and/or (c) within 2 years in 41/130 (32%), 40/192 (21%), and 41/129 (32%) of the cases, respectively. EQD2 for α/ß = 0.8Gy was the best dose metric associated with PRUI. Multi-variable analysis identified baseline incontinence levels as the strongest predictor for all endpoints (p < 0.006). Both FREQUENCY and OBJECTIVE were significantly influenced also by EQD2(α/ß = 0.8Gy). The goodness of fit was excellent, as was the calibration; internal calibration confirmed apparent performance. Conclusion: Baseline mild urinary incontinence symptoms strongly modulate the 2-year risk of PRUI. In addition, FREQUENCY is characterized by a marked dose-effect relationship also influencing the trend of OBJECTIVE, with results more reliable than AMOUNT as an objective index. A strong impact of fractionation on severe PRUI after post-prostatectomy radiotherapy also emerged.

Assessing the Role and Optimal Duration of Hormonal Treatment in Association with Salvage Radiation Therapy After Radical Prostatectomy: Results from a Multi-Institutional Study.

BACKGROUND: The optimal duration of hormonal therapy (HT) when associated with postprostatectomy radiation therapy (RT) remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To test the impact of HT duration among patients treated with postprostatectomy RT, stratified by clinical and pathologic characteristics. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The study included 1264 patients who received salvage RT (SRT) to the prostatic and seminal vesicle bed at eight referral centers after radical prostatectomy (RP). Patients received SRT for either rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or PSA persistence after RP, defined as PSA ≥0.1ng/ml at 1mo after surgery. Administration of concomitant HT was at the discretion of the treating physician. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The outcome of interest was clinical recurrence (CR) after SRT, as identified by imaging. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to test the association between CR and HT duration. We applied an interaction test between HT duration and baseline risk factors to assess the hypothesis that CR-free survival differed by HT duration according to patient profile. Three risk factors were prespecified for evaluation: pT stage ≥pT3b, pathologic Gleason ≥8, and PSA level at SRT >0.5 ng/ml. The relationship between HT duration and CR-free survival rate at 8yr was graphically explored according to the number of risk factors (0 vs 1 vs ≥2). RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Overall, 1125 men (89%) received SRT for rising PSA and 139 (11%) were treated for PSA persistence. Concomitant HT was administered to 363 patients (29%), with a median HT duration of 9mo. At median follow-up of 93mo after surgery, 182 patients developed CR. The 8-yr CR-free survival was 92%. On multivariable analysis, HT duration was inversely associated with the risk of CR (hazard ratio 0.95; p=0.022). A total of 531 (42%) patients had none of the prespecified risk factors, while 507 (40%) had one and 226 (18%) had two or more risk factors. The association between HT duration and CR was significantly different by risk factors (0 vs 1, p=0.001; 0 vs ≥2, p<0.0001). We observed a significant effect of HT duration for patients with two or more risk factors, for whom HT administration was beneficial when given for up to 36mo. This effect was attenuated among patients with one risk factor, with concomitant HT slightly beneficial when administered for a shorter time (<12mo). Conversely, for patients with no risk factors, the risk of CR remained low and constant regardless of HT duration. CONCLUSIONS: The oncologic benefit of HT duration among men receiving SRT for increasing PSA after RP depends on their clinical and pathologic characteristics. Our data suggested a significant effect of long-term HT for patients with two or more adverse features. Conversely, short-term HT was sufficient for patients with a single risk factor, whereas patients without any risk factors did not show a significant benefit from concomitant HT. PATIENT SUMMARY: We tested the impact of hormonal therapy (HT) duration during radiation therapy after radical prostatectomy. We identified three risk factors and observed a different impact of HT duration by clinical and pathologic characteristics. Patients with more adverse features benefit from long-term concomitant HT. On the contrary, for patients with a single risk factor, short-term HT may be reasonable. Patients without any risk factors did not show a significant benefit from concomitant HT.

Use of Concomitant Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Patients Treated with Early Salvage Radiotherapy for Biochemical Recurrence After Radical Prostatectomy: Long-term Results from a Large, Multi-institutional Series.

BACKGROUND: Hormonal manipulation concomitant to salvage radiotherapy (SRT) given for biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) improved outcomes in two randomized trials. However, neither of these studies focused on men treated at low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. OBJECTIVE: To test if the impact of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on metastasis in patients undergoing early SRT varies according to prostate cancer (PCa) features. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 525 patients received SRT at PSA levels ≤2ng/ml. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Multivariable Cox regression analyses assessed factors associated with metastasis. We tested the hypothesis that the impact of ADT varied according to the risk of metastasis. An interaction with groups (concomitant ADT vs no ADT) and the probability of distant metastasis according to a newly developed model was tested. A nonparametric curve explored the relationship between the risk of metastasis and 10-yr metastasis rates according to ADT. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Median PSA and radiotherapy dose were 0.42ng/ml and 66Gy, respectively. Overall, 178 (34%) patients received ADT. At a median follow-up of 104 mo, 71 patients experienced metastasis. Grade group ≥4 (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-3.30), pT3b/4 (HR: 2.61; 95% CI: 1.51-4.52), and dose (HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.76-0.89) were associated with metastasis. The impact of ADT differed according to the risk of metastasis calculated using a multivariable model (p=0.01). This was confirmed when considering patients treated with early SRT (p=0.046), where ADT was associated with a reduction in the rate of metastasis only in eSRT; patients with more aggressive characteristics (ie, pT3b/4 and grade group ≥4, or pT3b/4 and PSA at eSRT ≥0.4ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effect of ADT concomitant to eSRT varied significantly according to disease characteristics, such that only men with more aggressive PCa features benefit from ADT in the eSRT setting for BCR after RP. PATIENT SUMMARY: The oncological benefits of concomitant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in patients undergoing salvage radiotherapy (SRT) vary according to pathological characteristics. Only patients with more aggressive disease characteristics seemed to benefit from the use of hormonal manipulation at the time of early SRT. Conversely, the potential side effects of ADT could be spared in patients with low prostate-specific antigen levels and favorable pathological features.

Impact of Early Salvage Radiation Therapy in Patients with Persistently Elevated or Rising Prostate-specific Antigen After Radical Prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Salvage radiation therapy (SRT) is a recommended treatment option for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy (RP). However, its effectiveness may be limited to specific categories of patients. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify the optimal candidates for early SRT after RP. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The study included 925 node-negative patients treated with SRT after RP at seven institutions. Patients received SRT for either prostate-specific antigen (PSA) rising, or PSA persistence after RP that was defined as PSA level ≥0.1 ng/ml at 1 mo after surgery. All patients received local radiation to the prostate and seminal vesicle bed. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The primary outcome measured was distant metastasis after SRT. Regression tree analysis was used to develop a risk-stratification tool. Multivariable Cox regression analysis and nonparametric curve fitting methods were used to explore the relationship between PSA level at SRT and the probability of metastasis-free survival at 8 yr. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: At a median follow-up of 8.0 yr, 130 patients developed distant metastasis. At multivariable analysis, pre-SRT PSA level was significantly associated with distant metastasis (hazard ratio: 1.06, p<0.0001). However, when patients were stratified into five risk groups using regression tree analysis (area under the curve: 85%), early SRT administration provided better metastasis-free survival in three groups only: (1) low risk: undetectable PSA after RP, Gleason score ≤7, and tumour stage ≥pT3b, (2) intermediate risk: undetectable PSA after RP with Gleason score ≥8, (3) high risk: PSA persistence after RP with Gleason score ≤7. CONCLUSIONS: We developed an accurate risk stratification tool to facilitate the individualised recommendation for early SRT based on prostate cancer characteristics. Early SRT proved to be beneficial only in selected groups of patients who are more likely to be affected by clinically significant but not yet systemic recurrence at the time of salvage treatment administration. PATIENT SUMMARY: In patients affected by prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy, the early administration of salvage radiation therapy is beneficial only for selected subgroups of patients. In this study, these groups of patients were identified.

More Extensive Lymph Node Dissection at Radical Prostatectomy is Associated with Improved Outcomes with Salvage Radiotherapy for Rising Prostate-specific Antigen After Surgery: A Long-term, Multi-institutional Analysis.

Up to 50% of patients recur after salvage radiation therapy (sRT) for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) rise following radical prostatectomy (RP). Notably, the importance of lymph node dissection (LND) at the time of RP with regard to recurrence risk following sRT has not been previously determined. Therefore, we evaluated the association between nodal yield at RP and recurrence after sRT. We performed a multi-institutional review of men with a rising PSA after RP treated with sRT. Clinicopathologic variables were abstracted, and the associations between lymph node yield and biochemical (BCR) as well as clinical recurrence (CR) after sRT were assessed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. In total, 728 patients were identified; of these, 221 and 116 were diagnosed with BCR and CR, respectively, during a median follow-up of 8.4 (interquartile range: 4.2-11.2) yr. On multivariable analysis, the risk of BCR after sRT was inversely associated with the number of nodes resected at RP (hazards ratio [HR]: 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.96-0.99; p=0.049). Increased extent of dissection was also independently associated with a decreased risk of CR after sRT (HR: 0.97; 95%CI: 0.94-0.99; p=0.042). These data support the importance of an extensive LND at surgery and may be used in prognosis assessment when sRT is being considered. PATIENT SUMMARY: We found that patients who had increased number of lymph nodes resected at surgery had improved outcomes after the receipt of salvage radiation therapy. These findings support the use of the extended lymph node dissection at initial surgery and should serve to improve counseling among patients who require salvage radiation therapy.

Patient-reported intestinal toxicity from whole pelvis intensity-modulated radiotherapy: First quantification of bowel dose-volume effects.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Intestinal toxicity is commonly experienced during whole-pelvis intensity-modulated radiotherapy (WPRT) for prostate cancer. The aim of the current study was to assess bowel dose-volume relationships for acute patient-reported intestinal symptoms of patients treated with WPRT for prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Complete data of 206 patients were available; the median dose to pelvic nodes was 51.8Gy (range 50.4-54.4, 1.7-2Gy/fr). Intestinal symptoms were assessed as changes in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire scores relative to the Bowel Domain (IBDQ-B) between baseline and radiotherapy mid-point/end. The 25th percentiles of the most severe worsening from baseline (ΔIBDQ-B) were set as end-points. The impact of bowel loops and sigmoid colon dose-volume/surface parameters as well as selected clinical parameters were investigated using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Analyses were focused on the four questions showing a median ΔIBDQ-B>0. No dose volume/surface parameters were predictive, other than ΔIBDQ5≥3 (loose stools): when grouping patients according to bowel DVHs (high risk: V20>470cc, V30>245cc, V42>110cc; low risk: all the remaining patients), a two-variable model including high-risk DVH-shape (OR: 9.3) and age (protective, OR: 0.94) was assessed. The model showed good calibration (slope: 1.003, R2=0.92) and was found to be robust after bootstrap-based internal validation. CONCLUSIONS: Constraining the bowel loops may reduce the risk of loose stools. The risk is higher for younger patients.

Long-term Impact of Adjuvant Versus Early Salvage Radiation Therapy in pT3N0 Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Radical Prostatectomy: Results from a Multi-institutional Series.

BACKGROUND: Three prospective randomised trials reported discordant findings regarding the impact of adjuvant radiation therapy (aRT) versus observation for metastasis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) among patients with pT3N0 prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy (RP). None of these trials systematically included patients who underwent early salvage radiation therapy (esRT). OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that aRT was associated with better cancer control and survival compared with observation followed by esRT. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Using a multi-institutional cohort from seven tertiary referral centres, we retrospectively identified 510 pT3pN0 patients with undetectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) after RP between 1996 and 2009. Patients were stratified into two groups: aRT (group 1) versus observation followed by esRT in case of PSA relapse (group 2). Specifically, esRT was administered at a PSA level ≤0.5ng/ml. INTERVENTION: We compared aRT versus observation followed by esRT. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The evaluated outcomes were MFS and OS. Multivariable Cox regression analyses tested the association between groups (aRT vs observation followed by esRT) and oncologic outcomes. Covariates consisted of pathologic stage (pT3a vs pT3b or higher), pathologic Gleason score (≤6, 7, or ≥8), surgical margin status (negative vs positive), and year of surgery. An interaction with groups and baseline patient risk was tested for the hypothesis that the impact of aRT versus observation followed by esRT was different by pathologic characteristics. The nonparametric curve fitting method was used to explore graphically the relationship between MFS and OS at 8 yr and baseline patient risk (derived from the multivariable analysis). RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Overall, 243 patients (48%) underwent aRT, and 267 (52%) underwent initial observation. Within the latter group, 141 patients experienced PSA relapse and received esRT. Median follow-up after RP was 94 mo (interquartile range [IQR]: 53-126) and 92 mo (IQR: 70-136), respectively (p=0.2). MFS (92% vs 91%; p=0.9) and OS (89% vs 92%; p=0.9) at 8 yr after surgery were not significantly different between the two groups. These results were confirmed in multivariable analysis, in which observation followed by esRT was not associated with a significantly higher risk of distant metastasis (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.35; p=0.4) and overall mortality (HR: 1.39; p=0.4) compared with aRT. Using the nonparametric curve fitting method, a comparable proportion of MFS and OS at 8 yr among groups was observed regardless of pathologic cancer features (p=0.9 and p=0.7, respectively). Limitations consisted of the retrospective nature of the study and the relatively small size of the patient population. CONCLUSIONS: At long-term follow-up, no significant differences between aRT and esRT were observed for MFS and OS. Our study, although based on retrospective data, suggests that esRT does not compromise cancer control and potentially reduces overtreatment associated with aRT. PATIENT SUMMARY: At long-term follow-up, no significant differences in terms of distant metastasis and mortality were observed between immediate postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy (aRT) and initial observation followed by early salvage radiation therapy (esRT) in case of prostate-specific antigen relapse. Our study suggests that esRT does not compromise cancer control and potentially reduces overtreatment associated with aRT.

Hematologic Toxicity in Patients Treated With Postprostatectomy Whole-Pelvis Irradiation With Different Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Techniques Is Not Negligible and Is Prolonged: Preliminary Results of a Longitudinal, Observational Study.

PURPOSE: To address the thus-far poorly investigated severity and duration of hematologic toxicity from whole-pelvis radiation therapy (WPRT) in a cohort of chemo-naïve patients treated with postprostatectomy radiation therapy including WPRT with different intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) techniques, doses, and fractionations. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This analysis pertains to 125 patients (70 from a pilot study and 55 from an observational protocol) for whom 1 baseline and at least 3 subsequent blood samples (median 6), obtained at irradiation midpoint and end, and thereafter at 3, 6, and 12 months, were available. Patients were treated with adjuvant (n=73) or salvage intent; static-field IMRT (n=19); volumetric modulated arc therapy (n=60) or helical Tomotherapy (n=46); and conventional (n=39) or moderately hypofractionated (median 2.35 Gy per fraction, n=86) regimens. The median 2-Gy equivalent dose (EQD2) to the prostatic bed was 70.4 Gy with a lymph-nodal planning target volume of 50.2 Gy. Clinical and dosimetric data were collected. RESULTS: Both leukopenia and thrombocytopenia were significant (median nadir count 65% and 67% of baseline, respectively), with leukopenia also persisting (1-year median count 75% of baseline). Lymphopenia was the major contributor to the severity and 1-year persistence of leukopenia; all patients developed acute grade ≥1 lymphopenia (61% and 26% grade 2 and ≥3, respectively), whereas 1-year grade ≥2 lymphopenia was still present in 16%. In addition to an independent predictive role of corresponding baseline values, multivariable analyses highlighted that higher EQD2 doses to lymph nodal planning target volume increased risk of acute neutropenia and hypofractionation for acute thrombocytopenia. Of note, patients of older age were at higher risk for acute grade 2 lymphopenia, and interestingly, increased risk of grade >2 lymphopenia for those who smoked at least one year. No role for different IMRT techniques indicated. CONCLUSIONS: Leukopenia and lymphopenia after postprostatectomy WPRT were found to be less negligible and more prolonged than expected. A number of radiation-related and clinical factors favoring hematologic toxicity, whose awareness may be crucial when prescribing WPRT, in particular if concomitant to chemotherapy, were identified.

Dose-volume effects for pelvic bone marrow in predicting hematological toxicity in prostate cancer radiotherapy with pelvic node irradiation.

PURPOSE: To prospectively identify clinical/dosimetric predictors of acute/late hematologic toxicity (HT) in chemo-naÏve patients treated with whole-pelvis radiotherapy (WPRT) for prostate cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data of 121 patients treated with adjuvant/salvage WPRT were analyzed (static-field IMRT n=19; VMAT/Rapidarc n=57; Tomotherapy n=45). Pelvic bone marrow (BM) was delineated as ilium (IL), lumbosacral, lower and whole pelvis (WP), and the relative DVHs were calculated. HT was graded both according to CTCAE v4.03 and as variation in percentage relative to baseline. Logistic regression was used to analyze association between HT and clinical/DVHs factors. RESULTS: Significant differences (p<0.005) in the DVH of BM volumes between different techniques were found: Tomotherapy was associated with larger volumes receiving low doses (3-20 Gy) and smaller receiving 40-50 Gy. Lower baseline absolute values of WBC, neutrophils and lymphocytes (ALC) predicted acute/late HT (p ⩽ 0.001). Higher BM V40 was associated with higher risk of acute Grade3 (OR=1.018) or late Grade2 lymphopenia (OR=1.005). Two models predicting lymphopenia were developed, both including baseline ALC, and BM WP-V40 (AUC=0.73) and IL-V40+smoking (AUC=0.904) for acute/late respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Specific regions of pelvic BM predicting acute/late lymphopenia, a risk factor for viral infections, were identified. The 2-variable models including specific constraints to BM may help reduce HT.