HIGH-DOSE-RATE BRACHYTHERAPY OF A SINGLE IMPLANT WITH TWO FRACTIONS COMBINED WITH EXTERNAL BEAM RADIOTHERAPY FOR HORMONE-NAIVE PROSTATE CANCER

Purpose: To evaluate the preliminary outcomes of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy of a single implant with two fractions and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for hormone-naive prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Between March 2000 and Sept 2003, a total of 53 patients with tumor Stage T1c-T3b NO MO prostate cancer were treated with HDR brachytherapy boost doses (7.5 Gy/fraction) and 50-Gy EBRT during a 5.5-week period. Median follow-up was 61 months. Patients were divided into groups with localized (T1c-T2b) and advanced disease (T3a-T3b). We used the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) definition for biochemical failure. According to recommendations of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group-ASTRO Phoenix Consensus Conference, biochemical failure-free control rates (BF-FCRs) at 3 years were investigated as 2 years short of the median follow-up. Results: Between April 2000 and Sept 2007, Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 2.0 late Grade 2 genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity rates were 0% and 3.8%, respectively. Erectile preservation was 25% at 5 years. Overall survival was 88.1% and cause-specific survival was 100%. At 3 years, ASTRO BF-FCRs of the localized and advanced groups were 100% and 42%, respectively (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The HDR brachytherapy of a single implant with two fractions plus EBRT is effective in treating patients with localized hormone-naive prostate cancer, with the least genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicities; however, longer median BF-FCR follow-up is required to assess these findings. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc.