title: Association of urethral toxicity with dose exposure in combined high-dose-rate brachytherapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy in intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To report acute and late toxicities in patients with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer treated with combined high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-B) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).
  
  
  METHODS
  From March 2003 to September 2005, 64 men were treated with a single implant HDR-B with 21 Gy given in three fractions, followed by 50 Gy IMRT along with organ tracking. Median age was 66.1 years, and risk of recurrence was intermediate in 47% of the patients or high in 53% of the patients. Androgen deprivation therapy was received by 69% of the patients. Toxicity was scored according to the CTCAE version 3.0. Median follow-up was 3.1 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute grade 3 genitourinary (GU) toxicity was observed in 7.8% of the patients, and late grades 3 and 4 GU toxicity was observed in 10.9% and 1.6% of the patients. Acute grade 3 gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity was experienced by 1.6% of the patients, and late grade 3 GI toxicity was absent. The urethral V(120) (urethral volume receiving > or =120% of the prescribed HDR-B dose) was associated with acute (P=.047) and late > or = grade 2 GU toxicities (P=.049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Late grades 3 and 4GU toxicity occurred in 10.9% and 1.6% of the patients after HDR-B followed by IMRT in association with the irradiated urethral volume. The impact of V(120) on GU toxicity should be validated in further studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Medical Radiation Physics, University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pirus
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ghadjar
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Matzinger
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Isaak
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Behrensmeier
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stroux
authors.forename: Cyrill A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rentsch
authors.forename: George N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Thalmann
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Aebersold
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014521:Urethra / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000528:radiation effects