Prospective study of HDR brachytherapy (BT), external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT): 10-years experience of an MRI-guided approach

Radiother Oncol. 2024 Jan:190:110024. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2023.110024. Epub 2023 Nov 22.

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the predictive factors for biochemical failure and distant metastases in a prospective cohort of patients with localized prostate cancer treated with the combination of HDR BT and EBRT.

Methods and materials: Patients with intermediate (IR) or high-risk (HR) prostate adenocarcinoma received a single fraction of HDR of 15 Gy combined with RT of 37.5 Gy in 15 fractions. ADT duration was used depending on risk-group. Descriptive analyses were performed. Univariate and multivariate Hazard Ratios were obtained. Finally, the Kaplan-Meier model was used to describe the survival of the events of interest.

Results: 309 patients were treated prospectively (199 were IR and 110 HR). Median age was 72 years; 58.3 % were MRI stage ≤ T2c, 34.1 % T3a and 7.6 % T3b; ISUP-grade 1-3 in 78.9 % and ISUP 4-5 in 21.1 %. 71.8 % of patients had ≤ 50 % positive-cores in biopsy and 28.2 % had > 50 %. Median pre-treatment PSA was 9.9 ng/mL. After a median follow-up of 88 months, 41 patients presented biochemical failure and 18 developed distant metastases. Multivariate cox-regression analyses found that MR-T3b Stage (HR 3.88, p = 0.001) and ADT use (HR 3.99, p = 0.03) were the only predictive factors for biochemical failure and the number of positive cores (>50 %) the only independent predictive factor of distant metastases (HR 4.36, p = 0.002).

Conclusions: Patients with mpMRI evidence of invasion of the SV and involvement of more than 50% of the cores in the prostate biopsy are patients with a higher risk of presenting a biochemical recurrence or developing metastasis due to their prostate cancer, respectively.

Keywords: Brachytherapy; High-dose-rate; Multiparametric magnetic-resonance-imaging; Prostate cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Androgen Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Androgens / therapeutic use
  • Brachytherapy* / methods
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Prospective Studies
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / analysis
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / radiotherapy
  • Radiotherapy Dosage
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Androgen Antagonists
  • Androgens
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen