RADICAL RADIOTHERAPY FOR LOCALIZED ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE PROSTATE - A REPORT OF 191 CASES

Objective To assess the results of radiotherapy in the treatment of localized prostate cancer. End points for assessment were survival, local control, development of metastases, and the toxicity of therapy. Materials and methods The case notes of 191 patients who were treated with radical radiotherapy between 1982 and 1992 were reviewed. The pathology of 130 patients was reviewed by a single pathologist. A multivariate analysis was performed to identify significant prognostic factors with regard to survival and relapse. Results One-hundred and eighty-two patients were assessable. The minimum length of follow-up was one year (median=40 months). The actuarial cause-specific 5 and 10 year survival rates were 63% and 35% respectively. Local progression occurred in 41% of patients with 37% developing metastases. Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that T stage and Gleason Score were significant predictors for survival. Late complications were usually mild, with only 4% developing serious bladder toxicity. Conclusion Radical radiotherapy has a role in the curative treatment of prostate cancer. Survival is significantly related to T stage at the time of presentation, and to the Gleason Score of the tumour. Survival in this series was not as good as the best surgical series, but it is still not clear which patients should receive radiotherapy and which surgery as their primary management.