title: Hypofractionated radiotherapy with or without IGRT in prostate cancer: preliminary report of acute toxicity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the acute tolerance to hypofractionated schedule of patients with prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We treated 62 patients with intermediate risk prostate cancer. All patients were treated with a total dose of 43.8 Gy on seminal vesicles and 54.75 Gy on prostate, 3.65 Gy per fraction, three times a week for a total of 5 weeks. All patients underwent neoadjuvant, concomitant and adjuvant hormonal therapy. Thirty-six patients were submitted to image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median follow-up was 15 months (range 3-33 months). Toxicities during the treatment were: grade 1-2 gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity, 22.6%; grade 1-2 genitourinary (GU) toxicity, 51.6%. Toxicities 3 months after the end of the treatment were grade 1-2 GI 6.5%, grade 1-2 GU 9.7%. No statistical difference was observed comparing acute toxicity in patients treated with or without IGRT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that the hypofractionation schedule used is well tolerated, with a low rate of acute grade 1-2 GI toxicity and without major grade (≥3) acute toxicity. Longer follow-up is needed to determine if this low rate of acute toxicity will be translated in a low rate of late toxicity.
authors.affiliation: S. Andrea Hospital, La Sapienza University of Rome, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy. mauval1@libero.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valeriani
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.forename: Mattia Falchetto
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Osti
authors.forename: Vitaliana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: DE Sanctis
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minniti
authors.forename: Riccardo Maurizi
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Enrici
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000009:adverse effects*