title: Androgen-independent prostate cancer--the clinical problem of a growing pelvic tumour.
abstract: This retrospective study describes three clinically different groups of patients with symptomatic androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) referred to palliative radiotherapy (RT): those with a symptomatic pelvic tumour and pelvis-confined disease (M0 P-RT: 35 patients), those with a symptomatic pelvic tumour and distant metastases (M + P-RT: 97 patients) and those with painful bone metastases (BM-RT: 193 patients). The study emphasises the need of a combined surgical and radiotherapeutic palliation in AIPC patients with symptomatic pelvic tumours. Median overall survival from time of palliative RT was 19, 9 and 8 months for M0 P-RT, M + P-RT and BM-RT patients, respectively (p < 0.001). The significantly prolonged natural course of P-RT patients without distant metastases has to be accounted for in clinical trials of AIPC patients in whom survival represents an endpoint. Furthermore, the optimal palliation regimens for P-RT patients are still to be defined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Cancer Research, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Montebello, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Eivor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hernes
authors.forename: Sophie D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Fosså
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skovlund
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal