skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Penile bulb dose and impotence after three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer on RTOG 9406: Findings from a prospective, multi-institutional, phase I/II dose-escalation study

Journal Article · · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [5];  [5];  [6]
  1. University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (United States)
  2. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Philadelphia, PA (United States)
  3. Washington University, St. Louis, MO (United States)
  4. 3D Quality Assurance Center at Washington University St. Louis, MO (United States)
  5. University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)
  6. Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA (United States)

Purpose: To assess the relationship between the dose to the bulb of the penis and the risk of impotence in men treated on Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 9406. Methods and materials: Men enrolled on a Phase I/II dose-escalation study, RTOG 9406, who were reported to be potent at entry and evaluable (n = 158) were selected for inclusion. Follow-up evaluations were scheduled every 3, 4, and 6 months for the first, second, and the third through fifth years, then annually. At each follow-up visit an assessment of potency status was made. Penile structures were defined by a single observer blinded to the potency status, using Web-based, on-line software. The dosimetry for penile structures was calculated at the Quality Assurance Center at Washington University and provided to RTOG Statistical Headquarters to determine whether there was a relationship between dose and impotence. Results: Patients whose median penile dose was {>=}52.5 Gy had a greater risk of impotence compared with those receiving <52.5 Gy (p = 0.039). In a multivariate analysis neither age, the dose to the prostate, nor the use of hormonal therapy correlated with the risk of impotence. Conclusions: Dose to the bulb of the penis seems to be associated with the risk of radiation-induced impotence.

OSTI ID:
20630972
Journal Information:
International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, Vol. 60, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2004.05.026; PII: S0360-3016(04)00826-0; Copyright (c) 2004 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0360-3016
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English