title: Radiation therapy for prostatic cancer.
abstract: From 1962 to 1980, 124 patients were hospitalized for treatment of prostatic cancer. Of these, a total of 115 underwent radiation therapy. Thirty-five patients were classified as stages I and II, 12 as stage III, and 77 as stage IV. The five-year survival rate for patients in stages I and II was 72% in the radiation therapy group and 33% in the nonradiation therapy group. In stages III and IV, there was no difference in survival rate between the radiation and nonradiation therapy groups. Histological examination of prostate tissues of patients treated by radiation therapy revealed various degrees of change in the cancer cells, ranging from degeneration to disappearance. The degree of change was not related to the stage of the disease. Also, no histological differences in prostate specimens from patients who received 4,000-5,000 rads versus 5,000-6,000 rads was observed. Rectal examination indicated that radiation therapy was effective in 93% of the patients in stages I and II, 75% in the stage III, and 71% in the stage IV. The rates of reactivation were 28% for stages I and II, 12% for stage III, and 43% for stage IV.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*