External beam radiation therapy after radical prostatectomy: efficacy and impact on urinary continence.
OBJECTIVE
The efficacy of adjuvant and salvage external beam radiation (AXRT+SXRT) for prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy (RP) has been debated because of the inability to rule out systemic occult metastasis, uncertainty that radiation eradicates residual local disease and the potential of exacerbating impotency and incontinence. To characterize the effectiveness and treatment morbidity a retrospective review was performed.


METHODS
In all, 38 patients received AXRT and 91 received SXRT. The SXRT group was stratified by PSA level, age, race, pathologic stage, margin status, worst Gleason sum, radiation dose and pelvic field. Complications evaluated were impotence and incontinence. Median follow-up was 60.2 months.


RESULTS
The 5-y disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 61.3% for AXRT and 36.3% for SXRT. Multivariate analysis of the SXRT cohort showed Gleason score, pathologic stage and pre-XRT PSA to be predictors of disease recurrence. After XRT 26% had worsened continence.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients who recur after RP whose pathologic stage is pT2 or pT3c, Gleason score of 8 or higher or pre-XRT PSA is >2.0 ng/dl may have microscopic metastatic disease and a decreased chance of cure with SXRT alone. Continence was further impaired after XRT.
Petroski
R A
RA
Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR), Rockville, Maryland, USA.
Warlick
W B
WB
Herring
J
J
Donahue
T F
TF
Sun
L
L
Smith
C V
CV
Connelly
R R
RR
McLeod
D G
DG
Moul
J W
JW
D000368:Aged; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D011832:Radiation Injuries; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000209:etiology