Prostate cancer patients disease free after 5 years likely to be disease free after 10 years

	Tweet

Prostate cancer patients who receive brachytherapy and remain free of disease for five years or greater are unlikely to have a recurrence at 10 years, according to a study in the July 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Brachytherapy is the placement of radioactive sources in or just next to a tumor either permanently or temporarily, depending upon the cancer.

In the study, researchers at The Mount Sinai Medical Center Departments of Radiation Oncology and Urology in New York followed 742 prostate cancer patients who were treated with brachytherapy alone, brachytherapy and hormonal therapy, or combined brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) between 1991 and 2002. None of these patients had recurred during their first five years post-treatment. They found that the PSA level taken at five years was an indicator of how well a patient would do in the future and the overall chance of being cancer free at 10 years was 97 percent.

Also, none of the study participants developed metastatic disease or died from prostate cancer.

“Our data have indicated that improvements in treatment are continuing and that these will continue to have an effect on prostate brachytherapy data for years to come,” Richard Stock, M.D., lead author of the study and chairman of radiation oncology at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, said. “Late failure rates will continue to decrease, making prostate brachytherapy alone and combined with hormonal therapy and/or EBRT an increasingly attractive treatment option.”

###

ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through education, clinical practice, advancement of science and advocacy. For more information on radiation therapy, visit http://www.rtanswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visit http://www.astro.org.

Contact: Beth Bukata

703-839-7332
American Society for Radiation Oncology

RELATED STORIES:
Predicting the Return of Prostate Cancer: New Study Betters the Odds of Success   Not all cancer patients improve lifestyle   Link Uncovered Between Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, NSAIDs   Inhibiting Prostate Cancer without Disturbing Regular Body Processes   Lean body mass may protect against prostate cancer   Selenium Intake May Worsen Prostate Cancer in Some   Prostate Cancer - Patterns of Progression   Discovery at JGH opens door to new treatments for prostate, brain and skin cancers   New Targeted Therapy Effective in Treating Advanced Prostate Cancer   New diagnostic tool for prostate cancer   Swiss study finds income affects prostate cancer patients’ survival   Turmeric holds real potential for the treatment and prevention of prostate cancer   Fatherhood linked to prostate cancer risk   Genetic factors implicated in survival gap for breast, ovarian or prostate cancer   MRI findings help forecast prostate cancer prognosis   deCODE discovers genetic markers that improve the power of PSA testing for detecting prostate cancer   Testicular cancer patients can have children   Waiting on prostate treatment not distressing for most   Dehydrated tomatoes show promise for preventing prostate cancer   Men Treated for Localized Prostate Cancer Could Benefit from Pomegranate Juice Consumption   Exercise helps sex life after prostate radiation   Diet may make a difference in prostate cancer

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]