title: Daily-diary evaluated side effects of dose-escalation radiotherapy of prostate cancer using the stereotactic BeamCath technique.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate self-assessed late side effects in patients with prostate cancer treated with frameless stereotactic dose-escalation radiotherapy using BeamCath, a new technique that has been developed for accurate positioning of the prostate at treatment set-up, and in which a specially designed urethral catheter containing high-density fiducial markers is used. The method was tested in the first 104 patients in a Scandinavian dose-escalation study with doses up to 76 Gy. Side effects were reported in a daily diary and evaluated at the start of treatment (baseline) and at 1-year follow-up. The patients were compared with those treated with conventional (n = 53) and conformal techniques (n = 175). Dose-escalation radiotherapy (76 Gy) decreased urinary frequency, urgency and starting problems at 1-year in comparison with baseline. The dose-escalation therapy did not induce any increase in gastrointestinal side effects in comparison with the effect of conformal therapy < or = 70 Gy at the 1-year follow-up, apart from a slight increase in rectal mucus in the 76 Gy group. All groups, except patients receiving the 74 Gy with smaller fields, reported a slight increase in gastrointestinal toxicity at 1-year compared with baseline. Dose-escalation radiotherapy of prostate cancer using the BeamCath technique did not induce any significant increase in late side effects in comparison with conformal technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Sciences, Oncology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. Per.Fransson@onkologi.umu.se
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fransson
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bergström
authors.forename: Per-Olov
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Löfroth
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Franzén
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Henriksson
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Widmark
mesh_terms: D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014551:Urinary Tract / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000209:etiology