Posted on 10/24/2022 3:41:20 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A new study confirms that men with high-risk prostate cancer can be treated with five versus eight weeks of radiation therapy. The phase III clinical trial is the first to confirm the safety and efficacy of a moderately shortened course of radiation exclusively for patients with high-risk disease.
"We asked, can we deliver radiation safely and effectively in less time so that our high-risk patients can finish their treatment faster?" said Dr. Niazi. "Hypofractionated treatment for prostate cancer decreases financial toxicity to patients, and it is completed in 25 days instead of the usual 38 to 40 days. That's three weeks of not having to come to the clinic—the transportation, parking costs, and just the time it takes away from a person's day-to-day life."
329 patients were randomized to receive either standard/conventionally fractionated prostate radiation (76 Gy in 38 daily sessions) or moderately hypofractionated radiation (68 Gy in 25 daily sessions). Patients had to have high-risk disease, indicated by a higher Gleason score (8-10), Stage T3a or higher, or PSA above 20, to be eligible for the study.
Seven years after completing radiation therapy, the men who received hypofractionated or standard treatment had similar rates of recurrence and survival. Comparing patients who received accelerated versus standard treatment, researchers found no differences in overall survival (81.7% vs. 82%, p=0.76), prostate cancer specific mortality (94.9% vs. 96.4%, p=0.61), biochemical recurrence (87.4% vs. 85.1%, p=0.69), distant metastatic recurrence (91.5% vs. 91.8%, p=0.76) or disease-free survival (86.5% vs. 83.4%, p=0.50).
Side effects were also similar between the treatment arms. There were no grade 4 toxicities in either arm, and there were no significant differences in severe short-term or long-term genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities. Dr. Niazi said the team was pleasantly surprised that side effects were not significantly more pronounced with accelerated treatment.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I agree with everything you said. My PSA was only 9.4, yet I had eight mets.
Good luck to you both!
Your generosity sharing your time and knowledge here on FR is appreciated!
You are most welcome!
This is a way to help as many people as I can here on Free Republic. Too many of us were hurting from health issues for which I’d already read recent studies describing better ways to treat, or even fully reverse, their problems. It seemed I had to step up and fill that hole, but I was fearful I wouldn’t have the time.
Thankfully, I’ve generally been able to stay on top of it, since I started.
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