title: Ten-year outcomes for pathologic node-positive patients treated in RTOG 75-06.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to see what fraction of prostate cancer patients with biopsy-proven nodes are free of cancer 10 years after radiation treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  RTOG protocol #75-06 included 90 patients with biopsy-proven pelvic nodal involvement treated with radiation. They have been continuously follow-up since treatment. When feasible, current prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels have been solicited from patients clinically cancer-free (no evidence of disease, NED) at 10 years, to confirm cure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 10-year survival was 29%, the 10-year clinical NED survival 7%. PSA levels were obtained in 2 of 5 10-year clinical NED patients, they were both less than 0.8 ng/ml. The 2 proven cures were both clinical stage T-3, Gleason Score 6 and 8, and had 2 and 1 positive nodes, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed Gleason sum was significantly associated with clinical survival without disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A small fraction of node-positive patients are cured at 10-year follow-up by radiation therapy (2 of 90 with PSA +3 of 90 by clinical endpoints). Innovative treatment programs should be directed at node-positive patients in an effort to improve the fraction cured.
authors.affiliation: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Hanks
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buzydlowski
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Sause
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Emami
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Byhardt
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Earle
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Pilepich
mesh_terms: D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen