Efficacy and toxicity of intensity-modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer in Chinese patients

Abstract

To report the treatment efficacy and toxicity profile of intensitymodulated radiation therapy in Chinese patients with clinically localised prostate cancer. Historical cohort study. Oncology unit in a university teaching hospital in Hong Kong. Patients with clinically localised prostate cancer undergoing intensity-modulated radiation therapy in our institution between May 2001 and November 2009 were reviewed. The 5-year biochemical failure–free survival, 5-year overall survival, as well as acute/late gastro-intestinal toxicities and genito-urinary toxicities. A total of 182 patients were treated with prostate intensitymodulated radiation therapy with or without whole-pelvic radiotherapy. The median follow-up was 44 months. The median patient age was 72 years. Overall survival of the cohort was 92% after 5 years. The favourable, intermediate, and unfavourable risk category distributions of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network were 21 (12%), 42 (23%), and 119 (65%), respectively. The 5-year actuarial biochemical failure–free survival rates for patients in these categories were 95%, 82%, and 80%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified early tumour stage, low pre-treatment prostate-specific antigen levels, and the use of adjuvant androgen deprivation as independent prognostic factors for better biochemical failure–free survival. Grade 2 and 3 late gastro-intestinal/genito-urinary toxicities occurred in 8%/3% and 4%/3% of the patients, respectively. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer is feasible and safe in the Chinese population. These data are consistent with the results of other series in Caucasian populations.