For Release: October 25, 1998
Contact: Keri J. Sperry, (703) 295-6775
Michael J. Bernstein (703) 648-8910, [email protected]
3D-CRT Offers Treatment Choice for Early Stage and Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer
Three dimensional conformal external beam radiation therapy is as effective as surgery in treating patients with early stage prostate cancer as well as those with locally advanced prostate cancer, a new study has found.
The study, conducted at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA included 960 patients. It was presented at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology annual meeting October 25 in Phoenix, AZ.
"Three dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) allows us to better target our treatments," says Penny Anderson, M.D., senior resident in radiation oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, who presented the study. "3-D CRT is essential for the treatment of prostate cancer patients because we can now treat these cancers with higher doses of radiation, more often curing the tumors while reducing the side effects," she says.
The study found that patients with early stage disease and pretreatment PSA levels less than 10 had a biochemical freedom from disease rate of 84 percent; their PSA blood test levels taken an average five years after treatment did not indicate a recurrence of cancer, says Dr. Anderson. This rate is comparable to surgery, she says. Complication rates from the higher doses of radiation were very low, she adds.
"Higher dose rates mean higher cure rates," says Dr. Anderson. "This is true for patients with disease just outside the prostate as well as those with disease confined to the prostate," she says.
A separate study done at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, which reviewed just early stage cancers, emphasized the value of 3D-CRT for patients with disease confined to the prostate.
PSA relapse free survival rates for all patients in the study treated with three dimensional conformal radiation therapy was 81 percent, says Andrea McKee, M.D. Dr. McKee presented the study.
"The study also underscored the value of early detection of prostate cancer," she says. "Patients who had pretreatment PSA levels of less than or equal to 10 (indicating early stage prostate cancer) had a biochemical survival rate of 91 percent compared to 56 percent for those with pretreatment PSA levels of more than 10," says Dr. McKee. "When we further analyzed the data, we found that patients with early cancer -- those with PSA levels less than or equal to 10 and also a Gleason score of less than or equal to six -- had a biochemical survival rate of 96 percent," she adds.
"Three dimensional conformal radiation therapy is a very easy and very well tolerated treatment; patients are not compromising their care if they are treated with radiation therapy. Patients need to meet with their physicians then choose the option that best fits with their personal life," says Dr. McKee.
The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 5,000 members. As a leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the society's goals are to advance the scientific base of radiation therapy and to extend the benefits of radiation therapy to those with cancer.
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