[Biochemical recurrence criteria after radiotherapy (external beam, brachytherapy). Natural history of the disease after radiotherapy].
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is the main tool in the follow-up of prostate cancer patients after definitive therapy. It's widely used as an early  marker to value treatment success. Biochemical recurrence predicts metastatic disease progression and prostate cancer-specific mortality. In 1996,  the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) provided a definition of biochemical failure after radiotherapy, based on three  consecutive increases in PSA after nadir. As more experience was gained using the proposed definition and follow up duration in the PSA era matured,  deficiencies and controversial issues emerged, so more recently proposed candidate definitions have provided consistent outcome. In view of the criticisms, a second  consensus conference was held on 2005, with "nadir + 2 ng/ml" accepted as standard definition. The natural history and evidence of PSA kinetic parameters and different definitions of biochemical failure after external beam radiation therapy and/or brachytherapy  are reviewed in the following article.
Unidad de Oncología Radioterápica, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo, Hospital do Meixoeiro, España. carmelaiv@yahoo.es
Carmen Ibáñez
CI
Villoslada
Maria Victoria de Torres
MV
Olombrada
Carmen González
CG
San Segundo
D001918:Brachytherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000532:radiotherapy*
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen