Hormonal therapy post-radiation increases survival in PCa patients

Androgen suppression immediately after radiotherapy in high-risk prostate cancer patients reduces the disease progression and significantly improves survival, according to long-term data published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics (2005; 61:1285-90).

Between 1987 and 1992, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group followed two groups--an adjuvant arm, consisting of 488 patients, who started goserelin acetate (Zoladex) during the last week of radiation; and an observation group, which included 489 patients given radiation alone and goserelin at relapse.

The median follow-up for all patients was 7.6 years and for surviving patients was 11 years, as of July 2003.

At 10 years, the overall survival rate was significantly higher for the adjuvant arm (49%) than for the observation arm (39%). The 10-year local failure rate was 23% for the adjuvant arm and 38% for the observation arm. The 10-year rates for cancer metastasizing were 24% in the adjuvant group and 39% for the observation group. Disease-specific mortality was 16% in the first group and 22% in the second group.