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Title: Comparison of biochemical failure definitions for permanent prostate brachytherapy

Journal Article · · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8];  [9];  [10];  [11]
  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)
  2. New York Prostate Institute, Oceanside, NY (United States)
  3. Arizona Oncology Services, Scottsdale, AZ (United States)
  4. Seattle Prostate Institute, Seattle, WA (United States)
  5. Chicago Prostate Institute, Chicago, IL (United States)
  6. Department of Radiation Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH (United States)
  7. Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)
  8. Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (United States)
  9. Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States)
  10. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
  11. Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

Purpose: To assess prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure definitions for patients with Stage T1-T2 prostate cancer treated by permanent prostate brachytherapy. Methods and Materials: A total of 2,693 patients treated with radioisotopic implant as solitary treatment for T1-T2 prostatic adenocarcinoma were studied. All patients had a pretreatment PSA, were treated at least 5 years before analysis, 1988 to 1998, and did not receive hormonal therapy before recurrence. Multiple PSA failure definitions were tested for their ability to predict clinical failure. Results: Definitions which determined failure by a certain increment of PSA rise above the lowest PSA level to date (nadir + x ng/mL) were more sensitive and specific than failure definitions based on PSA doubling time or a certain number of PSA rises. The sensitivity and specificity for the nadir + 2 definition were 72% and 83%, vs. 51% and 81% for 3 PSA rises. The surgical type definitions (PSA exceeding an absolute value) could match this sensitivity and specificity but only when failure was defined as exceeding a PSA level in the 1-3 ng/mL range and only when patients were allowed adequate time to nadir. When failure definitions were compared by time varying covariate regression analysis, nadir + 2 ng/mL retained the best fit. Conclusions: For patients treated by permanent radioisotopic implant for prostate cancer, the definition nadir + 2 ng/mL provides the best surrogate for failure throughout the entire follow-up period, similar to patients treated by external beam radiotherapy. Therefore, the same PSA failure definition could be used for both modalities. For brachytherapy patients with long-term follow-up, at least 6 years, defining failure as exceeding an absolute PSA level in the 0.5 ng/mL range may be reasonable.

OSTI ID:
20850032
Journal Information:
International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, Vol. 65, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2006.03.027; PII: S0360-3016(06)00466-4; Copyright (c) 2006 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

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