HDR-Brachytherpay delivers outstanding cure-rates and quality of life

HDR-Afterloading therapy provides excellent results / The West-German Prostate Center introduces its latest study at the EAU in Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona April 18, 2010 – Prostate cancer patients-with localized advanced tumors benefit from combined radiotherapy. In this procedure, the tumor is irradiated internally as well as externally by way of HDR brachytherapy. This is shown by a study of the West-German Prostate Center that was recently introduced at the annual conference of the European Association of Urology (EAU) in Barcelona.

While the permanent seed implantation is used as a stand-alone therapy particularly with low-risk tumors, the combination of a HDR brachytherapy and an external radiotherapy is successfully performed in patients with a localized prostate carcinoma. In comparison to the stand-alone therapy, the advantage of this combined therapy is that the prostate can be targeted precisely with a high dose of radiation while at the same time radiation to the surrounding organs remains relatively low. The afterloading procedure is for the most part combined with the external radiation, since „this ensures that we can also target the margins of the prostate where tumor cells could possibly penetrate through the prostate capsule. “, explains Dr. Pedram Derakhshani. Most importantly, due to the additional high dose of internal radiation the radiation dose of the external radiation can be significantly reduced. Radiation-induced complications of the colon and urethra can be kept to a minimum.

Life quality can be maintained
The study of the West-German Prostate Center showed that an HDR brachytherapy for patients with medium-, and high-risk prostate cancer not only provides an excellent curative rate, but also allows patients to maintain a normal life quality with while simultaneous experiencing minimal side effects. For the study, a total of 692 patients were treated in a five-year period (2003 to 2008), with the afterloading technique as a “boost” in combination with external radiotherapy. Recorded were PSA levels, urethra functions and/or urinary incontinence and sexual functions as well as the effect of the therapy on the life quality of the patients. Recording of the data was performed using validated questionnaires.

The results are clear. The PSA levels decreased on average from 12 ng/ml to 0.19 ng/ml in medium and high-risk patients after an average of 36 months. The biochemical recurrence-free survival rate as a measure for the effectiveness of the treatment was about 80 percent after three years. Complications requiring treatment were rare. The urologist of the West-German Cancer Center Cologne emphasizes that „at times there may be a local irritation of the bladder and intestine. Immediately after the treatment, many patients complain about increased urination“. However, these complications normally disappear completely after three to six months. The numbers are reflected in the life quality of the patients. The general health status of the patients remained stable and reached the same level experienced prior to the treatment.

An additional benefit is that the patients are able to return to their professional and private activities only after a few days after the treatment is completed. Dr. Derakhshani continues „the HDR brachytherapy represents a small non-invasive procedure, which is generally performed during a short stay at the clinic and which causes only low stress to the patients”