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Keri Sperry (703) 227-0156 [email protected]
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For Release: November 3, 1999
MORE PROSTATE CANCER PATIENTS MAY BENEFIT FROM
HORMONES PLUS RADIATION THERAPY
More patients with large tumors confined to the prostate could benefit from hormone treatment plus radiation therapy - particularly if hormones are given before, during and after radiation treatments, a new study has found.
The study of 1,000 patients treated in facilities nationwide found that the overall rate of PSA relapse (a rising PSA level) and distant metastases were significantly decreased with the use of hormones combined with radiation compared to radiation alone, says Eric Horwitz, M.D., associate member at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Horwitz presented the study November 3 at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology annual meeting in San Antonio, TX. PSA relapse for patients who received hormones was 59 percent at five years compared to 86 percent for those who were treated with radiation alone. For patients who received hormones, distant metastases relapse was 28 percent at eight years compared with 39 percent for those treated with radiation therapy alone.
The study also indicates that the greatest benefit is for patients who receive long-term hormones, he says. Patients with Gleason score 7 - 10 tumors who received hormones before, during and after treatment fared the best, notes Dr. Horwitz with 52 percent of these patients without a PSA relapse at five years. This compares to 27 percent for patients who only received hormones before and during radiation therapy and 14 percent who had radiation therapy alone, he says. Patients were also less likely to have distant metastases if they had long-term hormones, he adds.
Patients with Gleason score 7 tumors do not usually receive hormones, notes Dr. Horwitz. This study indicates they may benefit.
"We see these tumor quite often," says Dr. Horwitz. "It is important that we consider long-term hormones in addition to radiation therapy for these patients, including those with a Gleason score of 7," he says.
The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 5,000 members. As a leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the society's goals are to advance the scientific base of radiation therapy and to extend the benefits of radiation therapy to those with cancer.
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