title: Safety and efficacy of radiotherapy treatment in elderly patients with localized prostate cancer: a retrospective analysis.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and the activity of radiotherapy treatment in patients aged ≥75 with prostate cancer (PC). From January 2000 to December 2007, 107 consecutive patients aged ≥75 years received radiotherapy with radical intent for PC. Eighty-one patients received radiotherapy in combination with a 6 months androgen suppression therapy. Variables considered were age, stage, co-morbidities according to the adult co-morbidity evaluation index (ACE-27) and performance status (PS). The median age was 79.1 years (range 76-87). The 23.4% of patients showed no co-morbidities, while the 46.7% had mild, 23.4% moderate, and 6.5% severe co-morbidities, respectively. All patients completed the planned radiation treatment. At a median follow-up of 37.8 months, the 5-year overall survival rate was 78%. There was a better survival for patients with no or mild co-morbidities (p<0.0001) and a good PS (p=0.009). The actuarial disease-free survival at 60 months was 75.8%. Difference in acute and late toxicity rate was detected between ACE-27 classes for diarrhea and marginally for urinary toxicity, but no difference was detected for different age. We conclude that compliance with radiotherapy is good and rate of toxicity is acceptable in elderly patients. Increasing severity of co-morbidity may sufficiently shorten remaining life expectancy to cancel gains with radical radiotherapy. Further prospective trials are needed to confirm these results.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology Radiotherapy, Arcispedale S'Anna Universitary Hospital, C.so Giovecca 203, I-44100 Ferrara, Italy. francesco.fiorica@unife.it
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fiorica
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berretta
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colosimo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berretta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ristagno
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Palmucci
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmucci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lleshi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ursino
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fisichella
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spartà
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stefanelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cappellani
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Tirelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cartei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists