Prospective Phase II Trial of Once-weekly Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy for Low-risk Adenocarcinoma of the Prostate: Late Toxicities and Outcomes.

AIMS: To report the long-term toxicities and sexual quality of life of a once-weekly hypofractionated radiation therapy schedule for low-risk prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multi-institutional phase II trial was conducted, using a three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) approach for low-risk prostate cancer (T1a-T2a, Gleason ≤ 6 and prostate-specific antigen ≤ 10 ng/ml). Forty-five Gray (Gy) were delivered in nine fractions of 5 Gy given on a weekly basis. Acute and late genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicities were graded according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group toxicity scale. Sexual function and sexual bother were assessed with the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) questionnaire. RESULTS: Between March 2006 and August 2008, 80 patients were treated, with a median age of 69 years (interquartile range 64-72). The median follow-up was 83 months (interquartile range 73-85 months). At 7 years, overall survival was 88%. No patients died of prostate cancer. Cumulative grade ≥2 genitourinary and gastrointestinal late toxicity was reported for 31.3% and 30% of our patients, respectively. Cumulative grade ≥3 genitourinary and gastrointestinal late toxicity was seen in 3.8% and 12.5% of cases, respectively. Late genitourinary grade 2 toxicity was correlated with the occurrence of acute genitourinary grade 2 toxicity (P = 0.006). The occurrence of late gastrointestinal toxicity was not correlated with acute gastrointestinal toxicity. Pre-treatment EPIC sexual function was low (37.5%) and the mean EPIC sexual function score at 7 years after treatment was 14%. On the other hand, pre-treatment EPIC sexual bother reached 80.5%, meaning little bother, and remained stable during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Once-weekly 3D-CRT leads to excellent biochemical disease-free survival and acceptable toxicities. Pre-treatment EPIC sexual function dropped by 42% at 5 years of follow-up. This functional deficit did not bother patients, possibly due to the already low sexual function at baseline.

[Radiotherapy of cerebral tumor in the adult with the exception of hemispheric glioma]. / Radiothérapie des tumeurs cérébrales de l'adulte à l'exclusion des gliomes hémisphériques

The results obtained in this series of 120 patients with brain tumors, excepting hemispheric gliomas, appear particularly comforting. Radiosensitiveness of medulloblastomas, pinealomas and to some extent of ependymomas, was of course known. On the contrary, the radio-sensitiveness of some astrocytary processes, or supposed astrocytomas, well or moderately differentiated (gliomas of the IIIrd. ventricle, opto-chiasmatic gliomas, gliomas of the brain stem) appears to have been appreciable and it has been possible to obtain numerous stabilizations equivalent to cures. An histologic chek-up prior to roentgentherapy appears to authors as strictly necessary and might be easily enough obtained thanks to the stereotaxic procedures. Authors are not of mind that the present series will be burdened with radio-necrotic like complications. They think that the tumoral doses might be increased of 5 p. 100 and even of 10 p. 100, while maintaining the same protraction and a fractioning of the same order: treatments of 5 to seven weeks consisting in 5 to 6 sessions per week). It is presently too soon for valuing the efficiency of an adjuvant chemotherapy.