Postoperative Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Comparison of Conventional Versus Hypofractionated Radiation Regimens

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2018 Jun 1;101(2):396-405. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.02.002. Epub 2018 Feb 8.

Abstract

Purpose: To compare acute/late toxicity and biochemical control in contemporaneous prostate cancer patient cohorts treated with hypofractionated postprostatectomy radiation therapy (hypoPORT) or conventional PORT (coPORT).

Methods and materials: Consecutive patients treated with intensity modulated hypoPORT (2.5 Gy per fraction, median cumulative dose 65 Gy [range, 57.5-70 Gy]) or coPORT (1.8-2.0 Gy per fraction, median cumulative dose 66 Gy [range, 60-74 Gy]) between 2005 and 2016 at 2 institutions constituted the study cohort. Acute toxicity and cumulative late grade 2 and ≥3 genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity incidences were calculated for all patients using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared between cohorts. Biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) was calculated in patients with ≥12 months' follow-up.

Results: Median follow-up for all 461 patients was 38.6 months. Of the 461 patients, 167 (36%) received hypoPORT, and 294 (64%) patients received coPORT. The hypoPORT cohort had significantly worse baseline urinary incontinence. Acute grade ≥2 GU toxicity was more common after hypoPORT (22% vs 8%) (P = .0001). Late grade ≥3 GU toxicity cumulative incidence at 6 years was 11% (hypoPORT) and 4% (coPORT) (P = .0081). However, hypoPORT was not associated with late grade ≥2 GU toxicity on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 1.39, 95% confidence interval 0.86-2.34) (P = .18). There was no difference in acute or late GI toxicity. In the subset of patients with ≥12 month's follow-up (n = 364, median follow-up 52 months), 4-year bPFS was 78% (95% CI 69.4-85.0) after hypoPORT (P = .0038) and 65% (95% CI 57.6-71.1) after coPORT. HypoPORT was not significant for bPFS on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 0.64, 95% CI 0.41-1.02, P = .059).

Conclusions: HypoPORT shows promising early biochemical control. After controlling for baseline urinary function, hypoPORT was not associated with greater GU toxicity than coPORT. © 2018 Elsevier Inc.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Aged
  • Androgen Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Dose Fractionation, Radiation
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / radiation effects
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Postoperative Care
  • Progression-Free Survival
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / blood
  • Prostatectomy
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / blood
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / surgery
  • Radiation Dose Hypofractionation
  • Radiation Injuries / diagnosis*
  • Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated / adverse effects*
  • Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated / methods
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Salvage Therapy / methods
  • Time Factors
  • Urinary Incontinence / epidemiology*
  • Urinary Incontinence / etiology
  • Urogenital System / radiation effects

Substances

  • Androgen Antagonists
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen