High-risk prostate cancer patients could benefit from a shortened radiation therapy protocol that includes dose escalation.
A medical trial testing the efficacy of the protocol was discussed recently the American Society for Radiation Oncology annual meeting, where experts shared that not only did the shortened protocol shave weeks off of the scheduled treatment plan, it also did not come at the expense of increased toxicity.
Tamim Niazi, MD, of McGill University in Montreal presented the study’s findings at the meeting.
"Moderate hypofractionated radiation therapy should be considered as a new standard of care for high-risk prostate cancer patients who are candidates for external-beam radiation therapy and long-term androgen deprivation therapy [ADT],” Niazi stated.
The phase III PCS5 trial included 329 men diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer. While all patients underwent 28 weeks of androgen deprivation therapy, they were divided randomly into two groups for radiation therapy treatments—one who completed standard radiation therapy and one that was placed on the hypofractionated protocol.
With acute and delayed toxicity measures being the primary endpoints, researchers found that grade 1 and 2 GI effects occurred more often in the hypofractionated group. Outside of that, they did not observe any other significant differences in grade 3 or higher GI toxicity or in genitourinary toxicity between the two groups. Delayed toxicity measures were similar between both groups as well.
Overall survival and other secondary outcomes, such as disease-free survival and freedom from biochemical failure, also did not differ greatly.
In all, patients who underwent the shortened protocol were able to cut their treatment time by three weeks.
Outside of the noted clinical benefits of decreasing the amount of time patients are required to present for treatment, Niazi suggested that shortening the protocol could also help reduce the “financial toxicity” that many patients endure when seeking medical care.
“We asked, can we deliver radiation safely and effectively in less time so that our high-risk patients can finish their treatment faster?” Niazi said in an ASTRO news release. “Hypofractionated treatment for prostate cancer decreases financial toxicity to patients, and it is completed in 25 days instead of the usual 38 to 40 days. That's three weeks of not having to come to the clinic – the transportation, parking costs, and just the time it takes away from a person’s day-to-day life.”
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.