EARLY PROSTATE-CANCER - THE NATIONAL RESULTS OF RADIATION TREATMENT FROM THE PATTERNS OF CARE AND RADIATION-THERAPY ONCOLOGY GROUP STUDIES WITH PROSPECTS FOR IMPROVEMENT WITH CONFORMAL RADIATION AND ADJUVANT ANDROGEN DEPRIVATION
Ge. Hanks et al., EARLY PROSTATE-CANCER - THE NATIONAL RESULTS OF RADIATION TREATMENT FROM THE PATTERNS OF CARE AND RADIATION-THERAPY ONCOLOGY GROUP STUDIES WITH PROSPECTS FOR IMPROVEMENT WITH CONFORMAL RADIATION AND ADJUVANT ANDROGEN DEPRIVATION, The Journal of urology, 152(5), 1994, pp. 1775-1780
Long-term outcome of the Patterns of Care Study and the Radiation Ther
apy Oncology Group are used to demonstrate the national average result
s of treating early prostate cancer in the United States. A group of p
atients with stage T1B2 disease and pathologically negative lymph node
s showed excellent 10-year survival rates and freedom from clinical ev
idence of disease, while prostate specific antigen (PSA) correlations
in 10-year survivors indicate that 88% were clinically free of cancer
and had a PSA level of less than 4.0 mg./nl., and 65% had a PSA level
of less than 1.5 ng./ml. The latter group represented clinical and bio
chemical cures. The improvement noted in outcome of locally advanced p
rostate cancer treatment by Radiation Therapy Oncology Group prospecti
ve trials combining androgen deprivation and radiation therapy is pres
ented. These trials will be extended to the poor prognosis group with
stage T1,2 disease. The advantages of conformal therapy in acute and l
ate morbidity are illustrated with preliminary evidence of improved PS
A response as a result of improved technique and higher dose associate
d with conformal 3-dimensional treatment.