Prostate cancer radiotherapy timeline can be safely shortened
The duration of radiation therapy for prostate cancer can be nearly cut in half without compromising the safety and efficacy of treatment, according to new data from a large-scale study out of the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Isodose moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy (MHFRT) allows patients to undergo just four or five weeks of radiotherapy, compared to conventional treatments that can take around eight weeks. Although the shortened treatment duration requires slightly higher doses of radiation during each session, this latest research indicates that patients who opt for MHFRT do not face increased risks of adverse side effects.
The findings were published this week in The Lancet Oncology.
“We believe these data strongly support that isodose MHFRT should become the preferred standard of care MHFRT regimen for prostate cancer,” co-author Amar Kishan, MD, executive vice chair of radiation oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and colleagues suggested. “More broadly, there appears to be little reason to consider conventional radiotherapy over MHFRT for the types of patients enrolled in these trials given these results.”
The analysis included the cases of nearly 6,000 patients who underwent two types of MHFRT—isodose MHFRT (60 Gy in 20 fractions), which keeps dose levels as close to standard therapy levels as possible, and dose-escalated MHFRT, which involves increasing the dose in an attempt to inhibit tumor growth.
According to the new data, both methods have similar five-year progression-free outcomes, cancer control and side effects in comparison to conventional therapy durations. However, the dose-escalated method results in significantly higher reports of gastrointestinal side effects. Considering the similar outcomes for both isodose and dose-escalation techniques, the group expressed preference for isodose methods.
“These findings reinforce isodose MHFRT as the standard of care, offering the same cancer control as conventional treatment but with fewer side effects than dose-escalated MHFRT,” they noted. “Patients can safely opt for a shorter treatment schedule without compromising their outcomes, ensuring they receive effective care with fewer visits and minimal added risk. Less time in treatment can still mean the best possible results.”
Learn more about the findings here.
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 began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.