Treatment results of adjuvant radiotherapy and salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.
BACKGROUND
The indications for and the efficacy of radiation therapy after radical operation for patients with prostate cancer are not clear. We analyzed the treatment results of adjuvant radiotherapy and salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy.


METHODS
Between September 1997 and November 2004, 57 patients received adjuvant radiotherapy or salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy. Fifteen patients received radiation therapy because of positive margins and/or extracapsular invasion in surgical specimens (adjuvant group). Forty-two patients received radiation therapy because of rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) during follow-up (salvage group). Radiation therapy was delivered to the fossa of the prostate +/- seminal vesicles by a three-dimensional (3-D) conformal technique to a total dose of 60-66 Gy (median, 60 Gy). Biochemical control was defined as the maintenance of a PSA level of less than 0.2 ng/ml.


RESULTS
The median follow-up period after radiation therapy was 33 months (range, 12-98 months). Three-year biochemical control rates were 87% for the adjuvant group and 61% for the salvage group. For patients in the salvage group treated without hormone therapy, the preradiation PSA value was the most significant factor for the biochemical control rate. The 3-year biochemical control rate was 93% in patients whose preradiation PSA was 0.5 ng/ml or less and 29% in patients whose preradiation PSA was more than 0.5 ng/ml. No severe adverse effects (equal to or more than grade 3) were seen in treated patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Radiation therapy after radical prostatectomy seemed to be effective for adjuvant therapy and for salvage therapy in patients with a preradiation PSA of 0.5 ng/ml or less. Also, radiation to the fossa of the prostate +/- seminal vesicles, to a total dose of 60-66 Gy, using a three-dimensional (3-D) conformal technique, seemed to be safe.
Wadasaki
Koichi
K
Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan. wadasaki@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Kaneyasu
Yuko
Y
Kenjo
Masahiro
M
Matsuura
Kanji
K
Murakami
Yuji
Y
Hashimoto
Yasutoshi
Y
Ito
Katsuhide
K
Kiriu
Hiroshi
H
Ito
Atsushi
A
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D047368:Tumor Burden
D015415:Biomarkers; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen