Torbakhopper

For Prostate Cancer, More Radiation May Not Improve Survival

Article
Men's Health
Laboratory Procedures
+1
Contributed byMaulik P. Purohit MD MPHApr 15, 2016

New technology has enabled doctors to administer higher doses of radiation to prostate cancer patients with fewer side effects. However, a new study shows that escalating the dose may not actually help a patient in the long term, at least not patients with localized prostate cancer. The results were published online in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"In the field of radiation oncology, we often assume that the highest dose that the body can tolerate will be most effective at killing cancer," says Dr. Robert Den, M.D., a researcher at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University and senior author on the paper. "Our results argue that this may not be the case, at least not with lower-risk prostate cancer patients."

Dr. Den, an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Biology, and Urology at Jefferson, and colleagues analyzed data from 12 randomized controlled trials of external beam radiation treatment for men with non-metastatic prostate cancer, which included a total of 6884 patients. By pooling data from multiple clinical trials, the researchers were able to see trends that would not have been apparent in the individual studies.

Rather than use the typical proxy for patient improvement, the prostate cancer antigen (PSA) test, the researchers looked at long term outcomes such as the development of metastatic cancer and death from cancer. They found that while PSA levels decreased as patients received higher doses of radiation, the overall survival and incidence of metastases, among other measures, did not improve.

"It's important to check our assumptions," says Adam Dicker, Chair of Radiation Oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. "This study suggests that our reliance on the PSA test as a proxy for patient outcomes may not as useful as many researchers thought, which has broad implications for the design of future clinical trials and the interpretation of current and previous studies."

Dr. Den's study also demonstrated that increasing dose was not associated with worse treatment toxicity, suggesting that current practices are safe. "These data suggest that other therapies may be needed with radiation to increase survival," says Dr. Den.



The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Thomas Jefferson UniversityNote: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Disclaimer: DoveMed is not responsible for the adapted accuracy of news releases posted to DoveMed by contributing universities and institutions.

Primary Resource:

Zaorsky, N. G., Keith, S. W., Shaikh, T., Nguyen, P. L., Horwitz, E. M., Dicker, A. P., & Den, R. B. (2016). Impact of Radiation Therapy Dose Escalation on Prostate Cancer Outcomes and Toxicities. American Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Was this article helpful

On the Article

Maulik P. Purohit MD MPH picture
Approved by

Maulik P. Purohit MD MPH

Assistant Medical Director, Medical Editorial Board, DoveMed Team

0 Comments

Please log in to post a comment.

Related Articles

Test Your Knowledge

Asked by users

Related Centers

Loading

Related Specialties

Loading card

Related Physicians

Related Procedures

Related Resources

Join DoveHubs

and connect with fellow professionals

Related Directories

Who we are

At DoveMed, our utmost priority is your well-being. We are an online medical resource dedicated to providing you with accurate and up-to-date information on a wide range of medical topics. But we're more than just an information hub - we genuinely care about your health journey. That's why we offer a variety of products tailored for both healthcare consumers and professionals, because we believe in empowering everyone involved in the care process.
Our mission is to create a user-friendly healthcare technology portal that helps you make better decisions about your overall health and well-being. We understand that navigating the complexities of healthcare can be overwhelming, so we strive to be a reliable and compassionate companion on your path to wellness.
As an impartial and trusted online resource, we connect healthcare seekers, physicians, and hospitals in a marketplace that promotes a higher quality, easy-to-use healthcare experience. You can trust that our content is unbiased and impartial, as it is trusted by physicians, researchers, and university professors around the globe. Importantly, we are not influenced or owned by any pharmaceutical, medical, or media companies. At DoveMed, we are a group of passionate individuals who deeply care about improving health and wellness for people everywhere. Your well-being is at the heart of everything we do.

© 2023 DoveMed. All rights reserved. It is not the intention of DoveMed to provide specific medical advice. DoveMed urges its users to consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and answers to their personal medical questions. Always call 911 (or your local emergency number) if you have a medical emergency!