Brachytherapy offers high 8-year prostate Ca survival rates
More than 90% of men who receive appropriate radiation dose levels with permanent radiation seed implants to treat their prostate cancer are cured of the disease 8 years after diagnosis, according to a recent study in the International Journal for Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (2007; 67:327-33).
More than 90% of men who receive appropriate radiation dose levels with permanent radiation seed implants to treat their prostate cancer are cured of the disease 8 years after diagnosis, according to a recent study in the International Journal for Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (2007; 67:327-33).
Physicians in the study evaluated the long-term results of permanent seed implants in men with early-stage prostate cancer. Nearly 2,700 men with T1-T2 disease were studied at 11 U.S. institutions over 8 years. The patients received the seed implants as the sole treatment for prostate cancer with no additional chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
The 8-year PSA relapse-free survival was 92%, 86%, 79%, and 67%, respectively, for patients with PSA nadir values of 0-0.49, 0.5-0.99, 1.0-1.99, and >2.0 ng/mL (p< 0.001), reported the researchers, from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Among patients free of biochemical relapse at 8 years, the median nadir level was 0.1 ng/mL, and 90% of these patients achieved a nadir PSA level <0.6 ng/mL.
"This study is exciting because it shows that brachytherapy alone without additional surgery, radiation, or drugs can be effective at curing early-stage prostate cancer," said lead author Michael J. Zelefsky, MD. "These results also confirm other findings that the quality of the seed implant is a critical ingredient for achieving a better outcome."
Seeds vs. prostatectomy: Long- and short-term side effects differ slightly
March 15th 2007For men with prostate cancer, radiation seed implants may yield a better short-term side effect profile than surgery, but surgery may offer slightly better long-term outcomes, new research from French radiation oncologists indicates.
Research on bladder tissue regeneration progresses
February 1st 2007Atlanta-Tissue engineering research has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade and a half, yielding findings that may someday have a profound impact on the field of pediatric urology. At the 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Urology annual meeting here, several groups presented cutting-edge data on novel systems for organ generation, including research demonstrating the feasibility of generating a functioning bladder from stem cells.
Radiation therapy combination prolongs long-term cure rate in men with PCa
January 18th 2007Three-fourths of men treated with a combination of radiation seed implants and external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer are cured of their disease 15 years following their treatment, according to a study published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics (2007; 67:57-64).
Cystectomy outcomes: Does surgeon's age matter?
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