• Nelson N Stone, Richard G Stock, Jamie A Cesaretti, and Pam Unger.
• Department of Urology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA. nelsonstone@optonline.net
• Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 2010 Feb 1; 76 (2): 355-60.

PurposeTo determine factors that influence local control and systemic relapse in patients undergoing permanent prostate brachytherapy (PPB).Methods And MaterialsA total of 584 patients receiving PPB alone or PPB with external beam radiation therapy (19.5%) agreed to undergo prostate biopsy (PB) at 2 years postimplantion and yearly if results were positive or if the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level increased. Short-term hormone therapy was used with 280 (47.9%) patients. Radiation doses were converted to biologically effective doses (BED) (using alpha/beta = 2). Comparisons were made by chi-square analysis and linear regression. Survival was determined by the Kaplan-Meier method.ResultsThe median PSA concentration was 7.1 ng/ml, and the median follow-up period was 7.1 years. PB results were positive for 48/584 (8.2%) patients. Positive biopsy results by BED group were as follows: 22/121 (18.2%) patients received a BED of < or =150 Gy; 15/244 (6.1%) patients received >150 to 200 Gy; and 6/193 (3.1%; p < 0.001) patients received >200 Gy. Significant associations of positive PB results by risk group were low-risk group BED (p = 0.019), intermediate-risk group hormone therapy (p = 0.011) and BED (p = 0.040), and high-risk group BED (p = 0.004). Biochemical freedom from failure rate at 7 years was 82.7%. Biochemical freedom from failure rate by PB result was 84.7% for negative results vs. 59.2% for positive results (p < 0.001). Cox regression analysis revealed significant associations with BED (p = 0.038) and PB results (p = 0.002) in low-risk patients, with BED (p = 0.003) in intermediate-risk patients, and with Gleason score (p = 0.006), PSA level (p < 0.001), and PB result (p = 0.038) in high-risk patients. Fifty-three (9.1%) patients died, of which eight deaths were due to prostate cancer. Cause-specific survival was 99.2% for negative PB results vs. 87.6% for positive PB results (p < 0.001).ConclusionsHigher radiation doses are required to achieve local control following PPB. A BED of >200 Gy with an alpha/beta ratio of 2 yields 96.9% local control rate. Failure to establish local control impacts survival.Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

25 keywords...

hide…