• G S Lederman, W Cavanagh, P S Albert, R Israeli, J Lessing, M Savino, and F Volpicella.
• Department of Radiation Oncology, Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA. pgreaney@siuh.edu
• Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 2001 Apr 1; 49 (5): 1297-303.

PurposeThe evaluation of clinical variables that influence biochemical relapse-free survival in a cohort of patients treated by combined radiotherapy over a fixed interval.Methods And MaterialsThree hundred forty-eight patients diagnosed with clinical Stage T1--T3a prostate cancer were treated with a course of (103)Pd or (125)I brachytherapy followed by a limited course of external beam radiation formed the basis for study. All censored patients had a minimum 2-year follow-up. Biochemical relapse-free survival (BRFS) was estimated using a modified American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus definition. Discrete "risk groups" were developed based on BRFS as influenced by pretreatment parameters.ResultsSignificant risk factors contributing to biochemical failure were serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) greater than 20 ng/mL, Gleason sum of 7 or greater, or clinical stage T2c or greater. Five-year biochemical control for those exhibiting no risk factor was 88%; one risk factor, 75%; two or more risk factors, 51%. The differences in BRFS among all three risk groups were statistically significant. Outcomes for patients presenting with PSA 10 to 20 ng/mL, but otherwise low-risk disease, fared no differently from those low risk patients presenting with PSA less than 10 ng/mL.ConclusionsCombined radiotherapy with (103)Pd or (125)I followed by external beam radiotherapy achieves a high rate of biochemical and clinical control in patients with low- to intermediate-risk clinically organ confined disease.

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