INTRODUCTION: We evaluated the acute genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) factors, biochemical control rates, and technical feasibility of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy as monotherapy for favorable-risk prostate cancer delivered in a single 19 Gy fraction.
METHODS: A single-institution, prospective pilot study was performed by evaluating 6 patients with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer treated with high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy as monotherapy. Patients received a single 19 Gy fraction as HDR monotherapy without the use of a transperineal hyaluronic acid injection. Patients were assessed according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) questionnaires. Additionally, prostate specific antigen levels have been followed for evidence of biochemical failure.
RESULTS: All 6 patients tolerated the implant well and were all discharged home the same day. Median follow-up was 15 months with all subjects followed for at least 12 months. No grade 3, 4, or 5 toxicities were observed. Two of the 6 patients experienced grade 2 GU toxicity. One patient experienced grade 2 GI toxicity. HRQOL bowel and urinary assessments revealed peak complaints at 3 months which returned to baseline at 6 months. There have been no biochemical relapses.
CONCLUSION: This is the first study using HDR brachytherapy as monotherapy for favorable-risk prostate cancer using one implant delivered in a single 19 Gy dose in the United States. All patients demonstrated acceptable acute toxicities and were pleased with their cost-effective treatment choice.
Citation Format: Scott Dahlbeck, Chase C. Hansen, Werner deRiese, A. Robert Kagan, Carlos Torres, Maurizio Chiriva-Internati, Everardo Cobos, Jose A. Figueroa, Diane Nguyen, Lukman Tijani, Jaden D. Evans. High-dose-rate brachytherapy as monotherapy for favorable-risk adenocarcinoma of the prostate delivered in a single 19 Gy fraction: Preliminary results of a prospective pilot study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3440. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3440
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.