Localized prostate cancer treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
The development and use of new radiotherapy techniques, especially 3D conformal radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy, has allowed the safe application of high doses of external beam radiotherapy without increasing toxicity. The aim of this analysis was to describe the acute and when possible late toxicity and the feasibility on using intensity-modulated radiotherapy into our routine work.


METHODS
From June 2003 to December 2004, 60 patients with prostate cancer underwent high dose (80 Gy) radiotherapy treatment with intensity-modulated radiotherapy at the University of Florence. In the current analysis, we included patients without clinical or radiographic evidence of distant disease at the time of the first evaluation in the radiotherapy unit.


RESULTS
Intensity-modulated radiotherapy treatments were delivered successfully without any interruption or technical problem. High-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy was well tolerated acutely. Four patients (10%) developed grade 1 late rectal toxicity after completion of intensity-modulated radiotherapy and 8 patients (20%) developed grade 1 late urinary symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Intensity-modulated radiotherapy is the approach of choice for high-dose radiotherapy delivery. No patient had severe toxicity (grade 3) despite the high dose delivered. From a cost-benefit point of view, our experience shows that delivery of intensity-modulated radiotherapy requires only minor corrections to the ordinary activity schedule.
Livi
Lorenzo
L
Radiotherapy Department, Florence University, Italy. l.livi@dfc.unifi.it
Paiar
Fabiola
F
Banci-Buonamici
Fabrizio
F
Simontacchi
Gabriele
G
Detti
Beatrice
B
Gacci
Mauro
M
Mondaini
Nicola
N
Nelli
Federico
F
Bastiani
Paolo
P
Pertici
Maurizio
M
Mungai
Raffaello
R
Ponticelli
Pietro
P
Biti
Giampaolo
G
D000368:Aged; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen