Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Radiother Oncol 2020 Jun 30. Epub 2020 Jun 30.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address:

Purpose: To investigate the role of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in unfavorable intermediate risk (UIR) prostate cancer patients treated with high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BT) boost.

Material And Methods: Data from 326 consecutive NCCN UIR prostate cancer patients treated in a single institution from 2009 to 2016 with 15 Gy HDR-BT boost plus 37.5 Gy external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in 15 fractions to prostate and proximal seminal vesicles were retrospectively collected. Read More

J Med Radiat Sci 2020 Jul 2. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.

Introduction: Fiducial markers (FMs) are commonly inserted into the prostate for image guided radiation therapy. This study aimed to quantify prostate oedema immediately following FM insertion compared to prostate volumes measured a week later, at the time of simulation for radiation therapy.

Methods: Thirty patients underwent a verification computed tomography (VCT) scan in treatment position immediately after the fiducial insertion and their planning computed tomography scan (PCT) one week after. Read More

Technol Cancer Res Treat 2020 Jan-Dec;19:1533033820935525

Prostate Cancer Research Laboratory, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Purpose: External beam radiotherapy is one of the treatment options for organ-confined prostate cancer. A total dose of 70 to 81 Gray (Gy) is given daily (1.8-2. Read More

J Urol 2020 Jun 30:101097JU0000000000001201. Epub 2020 Jun 30.

Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, London, UK.

Background: Men who fail external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) are usually placed on delayed hormone therapy. Some of these men have localised recurrence that might be suitable for further local therapy. We aimed to describe patterns of recurrence, and suitability for focal ablative therapy, in those undergoing transperineal template prostate-mapping (TTPM) biopsies. Read More

Front Oncol 2020 11;10:910. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Alfred Health Radiation Oncology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

For prostate cancer treatment, comparable or superior biochemical control was reported when using External-Beam-Radiotherapy (EBRT) with High-Dose-Rate-Brachytherapy (HDRB)-boost, compared to dose-escalation with EBRT alone. The conformal doses produced by HDRB could allow further beneficial prostate dose-escalation, but increase in dose is limited by normal tissue toxicity. Previous works showed correlation between urethral dose and incidence of urinary toxicity, but there is a lack of established guidelines on the dose constraints to this organ. Read More

Radiother Oncol 2020 Jun 25. Epub 2020 Jun 25.

University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.

Background And Purpose: To assess the long-term results of protocol-based ultrasound-guided salvage pulsed-dose rate brachytherapy in locally recurrent prostate cancer following previous radiation therapy.

Materials And Methods: A total of 82 patients (median age 69 years) with locally recurrent prostate cancer after previous external beam radiation therapy (43/82, 52.4%), prostatectomy and adjuvant radiation therapy (24/82, 29. Read More

World J Urol 2020 Jun 26. Epub 2020 Jun 26.

Urology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Science and Public Health, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.

Purpose: To retrospectively review our 20 year experience of multidisciplinary management of non-metastatic ductal prostate cancer (dPC), a rare but aggressive histological subtype of prostate cancer whose optimal therapeutic approach is still controversial.

Methods: Histologically confirmed dPC patients undergoing primary, curative treatment [radical prostatectomy (RP), external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)] were included, and percentage of ductal and acinar pattern within prostate samples were derived. Survival outcomes were assessed using the subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) and Fine-and-Gray model. Read More

J Radiat Res 2020 Jun 25. Epub 2020 Jun 25.

Department of Radiation Oncology and Image-applied Therapy, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 Japan.

Although salvage external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is an attractive treatment option for pelvic lymph nodal recurrence (PeNR) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa), limited data are available regarding its long-term efficacy. This study examined the long-term clinical outcomes of patients who underwent salvage pelvic radiation therapy (sPRT) for oligo-recurrent pelvic lymph nodes after definitive EBRT for non-metastatic PCa. Patients who developed PeNR after definitive EBRT and were subsequently treated with sPRT at our institution between November 2007 and December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Read More

J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2020 Jun 24. Epub 2020 Jun 24.

Advanced Radiation Oncology Department, Cancer Care Center, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Italy.

Purpose: We herein present the results of the first Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) survey regarding salvage external beam re-irradiation of local prostate cancer relapse named PROLAPSE.

Methods: A questionnaire with 12 items was administered to the 775 Italian radiation oncologist members of the AIRO.

Results: One hundred of the members completed the survey. Read More

Int Cancer Conf J 2020 Jul 20;9(3):133-136. Epub 2020 Mar 20.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, 2-1-1 Minatojimaminamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047 Japan.

Urinary retention and hematuria owing to radiation-induced mucositis are occasional late adverse events in patients with prostate cancer. Moreover, radiation-induced secondary malignancies are late adverse events, although they are extremely rare. Herein, we describe a case of radiation-induced secondary malignancy of the prostate that was initially difficult to distinguish from radiation mucositis. Read More

Jpn J Clin Oncol 2020 Jun 25. Epub 2020 Jun 25.

Department of Urology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Radical prostatectomy and external beam radiotherapy are recognized as comparable treatment options for localized prostate cancer. Previous studies of oncological outcomes of surgery versus radiotherapy have reported their comparability or possible superiority of surgery. However, the issue of which treatment is better remains controversial. Read More

Cancer 2020 Jun 23. Epub 2020 Jun 23.

Institute for Preventive Medicine, Kurosawa Hospital, Takasaki, Japan.

Background: To date, research has not determined the optimal procedure for adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer (PCa) treated for 6 months with neoadjuvant ADT and external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT).

Methods: A multicenter, randomized, phase 3 trial enrolled 303 patients with locally advanced PCa between 2001 and 2006. Participants were treated with neoadjuvant ADT for 6 months. Read More

Ann Transl Med 2020 May;8(10):636

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia.

Background: Radiotherapy (RT) alone or in combination with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is most common non-operative treatments for localised prostate cancer (PC). Some circulatory cytokines are believed to play an important role in RT resistance and lead to tumour progression, invasion, and angiogenesis. The aim of this study is to assess the influence of ADT and RT on the expression of circulatory cytokines levels in plasma at different time points. Read More

Ecancermedicalscience 2020 12;14:1042. Epub 2020 May 12.

Department of Medicine, Hospital de Carabineros de Chile, Ñuñoa, Santiago, 7770199, Chile.

Introduction: External beam radiotherapy is a treatment option for clinically localised prostate cancer; however, some 15% of patients will undergo treatment failure within 5 years. The objective was to compare the Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA) score (based on the clinical-pathological findings) and the sub-types of minimal residual disease (MRD) (based on the biological properties of the cancer cells) risk classifications to predict biochemical failure (BF) after external beam radiotherapy.

Methods And Patients: Clinical-pathological findings were obtained from the prostate biopsy to determine the CAPRA score and used to define low-, intermediate- and high-risk patients. Read More

Clin Nucl Med 2020 Aug;45(8):e349-e357

From the Department of Nuclear Medicine.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the value of Tc-MIP-1404 SPECT/CT for assessment of whole-body tumor burden and treatment response in patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer who undergo androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or external beam radiation therapy (EBRT).

Methods: A total of 125 patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer underwent Tc-MIP-1404 SPECT/CT. All 364 prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive lesions in the field of view were assessed quantitatively to calculate PSMA-derived metabolic tumor parameters, including whole-body PSMA tumor volume and whole-body total lesion PSMA. Read More

Rep Pract Oncol Radiother 2020 Jul-Aug;25(4):619-624. Epub 2020 May 6.

Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Radiotherapy is a curative option that is administered via external beam radiation, brachytherapy, or in combination. Sexual dysfunction is a common toxicity following radiotherapy, similar to men undergoing radical prostatectomy, but the etiology is different. Read More

Diagn Interv Imaging 2020 Jun 10. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

Hospices Civils de Lyon, Department of Urinary and Vascular Radiology, Hôpital Édouard-Herriot, 69437 Lyon, France; Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Faculté de Médecine Lyon Est, 69003 Lyon, France; Inserm, U1032, LabTau, 69003 Lyon, France. Electronic address:

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the predictors of metastasis-free survival (MFS) and of the volume of the local recurrence in patients with rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) serum level after radiotherapy for prostate cancer and referred for prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biopsy in view of salvage treatment.

Materials And Methods: A total of 132 consecutive men (median age, 70 years; IQR, 66-77 years) with rising PSA after prostate radiotherapy who underwent prostate MRI and biopsy in view of salvage treatment between January 2010 and July 2017 were retrospectively evaluated at a single center. MFS predictors were assessed with Cox models. Read More

J Ultrasound Med 2020 Jun 11. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Objectives: To investigate whether timing and sequencing of ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles (USMBs) and external beam radiotherapy (XRT) affect the treatment response in a preclinical prostate cancer model.

Methods: Prostate cancer xenografts were treated with ultrasound-stimulated lipid microspheres before and after 8-Gy XRT. Treatments were separated by 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours, with 5 tumors per group. Read More

Clin Exp Metastasis 2020 Jun 9. Epub 2020 Jun 9.

Department of Urology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.

Prospective evidence for the clinical role and efficacy of prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combining MRI characterization and localization of lesions with PET avidity in comparison to conventional imaging is limited. In a prospective clinical trial, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic yield and therapeutic impact of PSMA PET/MRI in men with biochemical recurrence (BCR) following curative therapy. A single-centre, prospective clinical trial at the Princess Alexandra Hospital recruited 30 patients with BCR. Read More

Am J Mens Health 2020 May-Jun;14(3):1557988320927241

Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.

Prostate cancer remains the most common and second most deadly cancer diagnosed amongst U.S. men. Read More

Int J Clin Oncol 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the association between clinical covariates or the prescribed radiation dose for the prostate and rectal hemorrhage in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) who received iodine-125 low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT group) or the combination of LDR-BT and external beam radiation therapy (CMT group).

Methods And Materials: In this retrospective study, we reviewed the clinical records of 298 consecutive PCa patients with clinical stage T1c/T2 who underwent LDR-BT between August 2004 and August 2016 at a single institution. The prescribed minimum peripheral doses were 145 Gy for the LDR-BT group and 104 Gy for the CMT group. Read More

Rep Pract Oncol Radiother 2020 Jul-Aug;25(4):548-555. Epub 2020 Apr 28.

Radiotherapy and Medical Physics Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán. 15 Vasco de Quiroga, Belisario Domínguez, Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Mexico City, 14080, Mexico.

Aim: Describe characteristics and outcomes of three patients treated with pelvic radiation therapy after kidney transplant.

Background: The incidence of pelvic cancers in kidney transplant (KT) recipients is rising. Currently it is the leading cause of death. Read More

Anticancer Res 2020 Jun;40(6):3307-3314

Department of Radiation Oncology, New York - Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, New York, NY, U.S.A.

Background/aim: Recent evidence has shown that African American men with prostate cancer may have more radiosensitive disease with greater overall survival (OS) with radiotherapy compared to Caucasian men. We compared OS in African American and Caucasian men receiving radiotherapy utilizing the National Cancer Database.

Patients And Methods: African American or Caucasian men with N0M0 prostate adenocarcinoma diagnosed between 2004 and 2013 were selected and grouped into favorable and unfavorable risk based on clinical T-stage, clinical Gleason score, and prostate-specific antigen. Read More

Med Phys 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Department of Radiation Oncology and Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.

Purpose: High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is an established technique to be used as monotherapy option or focal boost in conjunction with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for treating prostate cancer. Radiation source path reconstruction is a critical procedure in HDR treatment planning. Manually identifying the source path is labor intensive and time inefficient. Read More

Pract Radiat Oncol 2020 May 25. Epub 2020 May 25.

Division of Radiotherapy, University Hospital "Maggiore della Carità", corso Mazzini 18, 28100 Novara, Italy; Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale (UPO), via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy. Electronic address:

Objective: We aim to develop and validate a new adaptive method (O-ART) for prostate cancer (PCa) radiotherapy (RT), using an off-line strategy to improve treatment personalization by modelling the internal target volume (ITV) on individual basis and account for the residual set-up uncertainties by robust optimization.

Methods And Materials: 20 patients with intermediate-high PCa treated with radical RT were enrolled. The first step of the O-ART strategy is the identification of a patient specific ITV based on the KV-cone beam CT (kV-CBCT) datasets acquired during the first five fractions. Read More

Colorectal Dis 2020 May 28. Epub 2020 May 28.

CHU de Bordeaux, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Department of Digestive Surgery, Pessac, 33604, France.

Aim: Restorative total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer after high-dose pelvic radiotherapy for prostate cancer has been reported to provide a non-acceptable pelvic sepsis rate. We proposed in a previous publication to perform a delayed coloanal anastomosis (DCAA) in this situation. This study aimed to assess feasibility and outcomes of this strategy. Read More

Radiother Oncol 2020 Apr 27;149:64-69. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, United States. Electronic address:

Background And Purpose: To identify a PSA threshold value at an intermediate follow-up time after low dose rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy associated with cure, defined as long-term (10-15 year) freedom from prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: Data from 7 institutions for 14,220 patients with localized prostate cancer treated with LDR brachytherapy, either alone (8552) or with external beam radiotherapy (n = 1175), androgen deprivation (n = 3165), or both (n = 1328), were analyzed. Risk distribution was 42. Read More

Rep Pract Oncol Radiother 2020 May-Jun;25(3):442-446. Epub 2020 Apr 16.

Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, 4236 Lowes Dr, Temple, TX 76508, US.

Aim: We sought to evaluate the effect of radiation therapy on post-prostatectomy urinary quality of life in prostate cancer patients.

Background: In some men with non-metastatic prostate cancer, radiation therapy is indicated following prostatectomy. The radiation toxicity and quality of life considerations are unique in the post-prostatectomy setting. Read More

J Clin Oncol 2020 May 12:JCO1903217. Epub 2020 May 12.

Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

Purpose: In men with localized prostate cancer, the addition of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) or a brachytherapy boost (BT) to external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) have been shown to improve various oncologic end points. Practice patterns indicate that those who receive BT are significantly less likely to receive ADT, and thus we sought to perform a network meta-analysis to compare the predicted outcomes of a randomized trial of EBRT plus ADT versus EBRT plus BT.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review identified published randomized trials comparing EBRT with or without ADT, or EBRT (with or without ADT) with or without BT, that reported on overall survival (OS). Read More

Prostate Cancer 2020 20;2020:8357452. Epub 2020 Jan 20.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

Purpose: To investigate how pretreatment testosterone levels correlate with progression-free survival, metastasis-free survival, and overall survival in a propensity-adjusted localized prostate cancer population.

Methods: Men diagnosed with clinical NCCN-risk stratified very-low, low, intermediate, high, and/or very-high risk prostate cancer who had a baseline total serum testosterone level≥100 ng/dl measured within the 100 days preceding the first definitive therapy were identified from our prospectively gathered institutional database. Cohorts below (100-239 ng/dl), within (240-593 ng/dl), or above (594 + ng/dl) one standard deviation from the mean testosterone level (416 ng/dl) were used for comparison. Read More

J Contemp Brachytherapy 2020 Apr 30;12(2):181-187. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Wroclaw Comprehensive Cancer Center, Poland.

Purpose: Prostate and colorectal cancers are the first and the third most popular malignancies in male population, in which some patients may develop these tumors metachronously or synchronously. At present, there are no standard recommendations, and oncologists need to provide an optimal management for two different cancers with an acceptable risk of possible treatment of adverse effects.

Material And Methods: This case report presents the treatment of a 61-year-old patient suffering from synchronous prostate and rectal cancer. Read More

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020 Jun;107(2):390

Investig Clin Urol 2020 May 17;61(3):250-259. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Department of Urology, HELIOS Hospital, Bad Saarow, Germany.

Purpose: High-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is a common treatment option for locally advanced prostate cancer. Quality of life is an important factor when discussing therapy options for high-risk prostate cancer. This study evaluated adverse effects and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Read More

JNCI Cancer Spectr 2020 Apr 14;4(2):pkaa006. Epub 2020 Feb 14.

Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

Background: It is unclear which radiotherapy technique and dose fractionation scheme is most effective in decreasing the risk of prostate cancer death.

Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study among 15 164 men in the Prostate Cancer database Sweden (version 4.0) treated with primary radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer in Sweden from 1998 to 2016. Read More

J Med Phys 2020 Jan-Mar;45(1):1-6. Epub 2020 Mar 13.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Manipal Hospital, New Delhi, India.

Aim: This study aims to validate volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) plan correction method for a patient's lost weight during the course of radiotherapy.

Materials And Methods: VMAT plans of prostate and head and neck cancers were considered to evaluate dosimetric effects due to external surface changes caused by patient's weight loss during treatment. Accepted VMAT treatment plan was recalculated on the planning computed tomography (CT) with a newly created external contour from cone-beam CT and was compared with the original plan. Read More

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020 Apr 27. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Electronic address:

Purpose: Patients with prostate cancer presenting with advanced T stage, mainly T4, might have a unique pattern of nodal failure and disease involvement that is not typically covered when local therapy is offered. We attempted to identify common sites of nodal disease presentation and failure for patients presenting with cT4 prostate cancer.

Methods And Materials: All patients with treatment-naïve cT4 prostate cancer were retrospectively identified. Read More

World J Urol 2020 Apr 29. Epub 2020 Apr 29.

Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center, 29 S Greene St Suite 500, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.

Purpose: Men with Gleason score 9-10 prostate cancer have worse outcomes compared to those with Gleason 8 disease. Upfront treatments remain controversial for these patients. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we evaluated the impact of initial treatment with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), external beam radiation therapy with brachytherapy (EBRT + BT), or surgery on prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) and overall mortality (OM) in Gleason 9-10 disease. Read More

Clin Genitourin Cancer 2020 Mar 19. Epub 2020 Mar 19.

Division of Urologic Oncology, Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.

Purpose: To compare metastasis-free survival, overall survival, and patient-reported quality of life (QOL) of men with National Comprehensive Cancer Network high or very high risk prostate cancer after definitive surgery and/or multimodal radiotherapy (RT).

Patients And Methods: We studied a retrospective cohort study of 586 patients treated between the years 2000 and 2017 receiving radical prostatectomy with or without postoperative RT, external-beam RT (EBRT) with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), or EBRT plus brachytherapy (Brachy) boost + ADT. Patient-reported QOL for urinary, bowel, sexual, and overall physical and mental functioning was assessed using the American Urological Association symptom scale, the Sexual Health Inventory in Men, the Rectal-Function Assessment Scale, the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite, and the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey. Read More

J Sex Med 2020 Jun 17;17(6):1053-1059. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Department of Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the most common side effect of prostate radiotherapy (RT), but reported rates over time and across modalities have varied widely.

Aim: To evaluate the published literature between 2002 and 2018 for high quality data utilizing prospectively gathered patient-reported ED, and to summarize the challenges in reporting of RT-induced ED (RIED).

Methods: A PubMed search and literature review was performed to identify articles describing rates of ED before and after definitive external beam RT or brachytherapy without androgen deprivation. Read More

Dtsch Arztebl Int 2020 Mar;117(10):167-174

Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin,Campus Virchow-Klinikum; Charité CyberKnife Center Berlin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin,Campus Virchow-Klinikum; Klinik für Strahlentherapie Universitätsklinikum Leipzig; Department of Urology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Department of Otolaryngology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin,Campus Virchow-Klinikum.

Background: Recent advances in diagnostic methods and in radiotherapy now increasingly enable repeat radiotherapy with curative intent for the treatment of previously irradiated lesions. In this review, we present data on oncological outcomes and on acute and late sequelae, as far as these are currently known, in patients with head and neck tumors (HNT) or prostate cancer (PCa) who underwent repeat radiotherapy after prior radiotherapy with curative intent.

Methods: This review is based on clinical series with over 20 patients that were published between May 1998 and April 2018 (HNT) or between October 1998 and October 2018 (PCa) and were retrieved by a search in the PubMed database. Read More

BMC Cancer 2020 Apr 15;20(1):324. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.

Background: In this retrospective study, we evaluated the biochemical recurrence rate, metastatic disease progression, and prostate cancer-specific and overall survival in patients curatively treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for early prostate cancer (PC). We also examined the prognostic effect of comorbidity by Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and overall performance status by Eastern Clinical Oncology Group (ECOG) score.

Methods: A total of 665 men treated between 2008 and 2013 were enrolled from Tampere University Hospital, Finland. Read More

Radiother Oncol 2020 Jun 31;147:123-129. Epub 2020 Mar 31.

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Using a prospectively collected institutional database, we compared rectal toxicity following high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy as monotherapy relative to dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for patients with localized prostate cancer.

Methods: 2683 patients treated with HDR or EBRT between 1994 and 2017 were included. HDR fractionation was 38 Gy/4 fractions (n = 321), 24 Gy/2 (n = 96), or 27 Gy/2 (n = 128). Read More

Urologe A 2020 Jun;59(6):659-664

Klinik für Radioonkologie und Strahlentherapie, Universitätsklinikum Ulm, Ulm, Deutschland.

Background: About 5% of prostate cancer patients have distant metastases at diagnosis. In these metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancers (mHSPC), systemic therapy is recommended, according to the guidelines. Moreover, metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) is discussed to prolong survival. Read More

Eur Urol 2020 Apr 6. Epub 2020 Apr 6.

Carolina Urologic Research Center, Myrtle Beach, SC, USA.

Background: External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with neoadjuvant/adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is an established treatment option to prolong survival for patients with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). Relugolix, an oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist, was evaluated in this clinical setting in comparison with degarelix, an injectable GnRH antagonist.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of relugolix to achieve and maintain castration. Read More

Med Phys 2020 Apr 8. Epub 2020 Apr 8.

Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, P.O. Box 2208, Iraklion, Crete, 71003, Greece.

Purpose: To estimate the risk for bladder and rectal cancer induction due to standard fractionated (SF) and moderately hypofractionated (HF) volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for prostate carcinoma.

Methods: Twelve patients with low or intermediate-risk of prostate cancer referred for external-beam radiotherapy were included in this study. Three computed tomography-based VMAT plans were created for each study participant. Read More

Clin Genitourin Cancer 2020 Jan 8. Epub 2020 Jan 8.

Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, Juravinski Cancer Center, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Oncology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Departments of Oncology, Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. Electronic address:

Standard therapy for high-risk (HR) prostate cancer (PrCa) involves androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and pelvic conventional fractionation (CF) external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) followed by boost CF-EBRT treatment to prostate for a total of 78 to 80 Gy in 39 to 40 fractions. This is a long and inconvenient treatment for patients. Brachytherapy boost treatment studies indicate that escalation of biological dose of radiotherapy (RT) can improve outcomes in HR-PrCa. Read More

Rep Pract Oncol Radiother 2020 May-Jun;25(3):360-366. Epub 2020 Mar 19.

Department of Medical Physics, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK.

Aim: To compare the radiotherapy technique used in a randomised trial with VMAT and an in-house technique for prostate cancer.

Background: Techniques are evolving with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) commonly used. The CHHiP trial used a 3 PTV forward planned IMRT technique (FP_CH). Read More

J Appl Clin Med Phys 2020 Jun 30;21(6):15-25. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Department of Radiation Oncology, BC Cancer - Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.

Prostate cancer external beam radiation therapy can result in toxicity due to organ at risk (OAR) dose, potentially impairing quality of life. A polyethylene glycol-based spacer, SpaceOAR© hydrogel (SOH), implanted between prostate gland and rectum may significantly reduce dose received by the rectum and hence risk of rectal toxicity. SOH implant is not equally effective in all patients. Read More

Brachytherapy 2020 May - Jun;19(3):290-297. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

Department of Radiology, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Electronic address:

Purpose: To assess the correlation between postimplant dosimetric quantifiers and the genitourinary (GU) toxicity of low-dose rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer.

Methods And Materials: The minimum urethral dose (UD10, 30, and 90) and the percent volume of the urethra receiving the prescription dose (V100, V150) were calculated from the postimplant dose-volume histograms of 182 patients. We then calculated various urethral biologically equivalent doses (uBEDs) using different values of the α/β ratio and tissue repair half-time (t1/2) and examined the correlations with GU toxicity. Read More