Urinary tract infections in patients with early prostate cancer during 3D conformal radiotherapy

Objective To determine the prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTI), and their association with dose to bladder, bladder volume and treatment time in patients with early prostate cancer during three dimensional (3D) conformal radiotherapy. Patients and Methods Fifty-four patients with localized prostate cancer who were to undergo curative radiation of 7000 cGy over eight to nine weeks were enrolled in the study. Patients catheterized during or within four weeks of pelvic radiation were excluded. Statistical analysis of frequencies, percentages and correlation coefficients was done by using SPSS version 17.0 Results Urine culture was positive in 9 out of 54 patients (16.6%) with E. coli in all specimens (100%) and mixed growth of pseudomonas and E. coli in 4 out 9 (44.4%) cases. Six out of 9 (66.6%) cases were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Mean bladder volume irradiated was 127.17 cm.(3) No dose-volume or treatment time relationship for infectious cystitis was seen. Conclusions Infectious cystitis occured in 16.6% of patients with early prostate cancer during conformal radiotherapy. No relationship was seen with dose, volume of bladder irradiated and treatment time. Weekly urine culture during radiotherapy can prevent serious sequelae. Resistance to ciprofloxacin raises a concern for inappropriate wide usage by general practitioners in Asian countries.