Dose-Escalated Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer: 15-Year Outcomes Data

To report 15-year outcomes for dose-escalated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for localized prostate cancer (PC) by evaluating biochemical relapse, distant metastases, cancer-specific survival, and long-term toxicity.

A database search was conducted for the first cohort of patients treated at this institution with 81 or 86.4 Gy between 1996 and 1998 using IMRT. Toxicity data were scored according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0. Median follow-up was 11.6 years (range, 5-21 years).

In the study, 301 patients were treated with 81 Gy (n = 269, 89%) or 86.4 Gy (n = 32, 11%). Patients were analyzed by National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk group, with 29% low risk (LR), 49% intermediate risk (IR), and 22% high risk (HR). Late grade 3 gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity was seen in 3 patients (1.0%). No grade 4 GI toxicity events occurred. Median time from radiation therapy to late grade 3 GI toxicity was 2.9 years. One event occurred after 10 years. Late grade 3 and 4 genitourinary (GU) toxicity was seen in 6 (2.0%) and 1 (0.3%) patient, respectively. Median time to late grade 3+ GU toxicity was 5.5 years. Two events occurred after 10 years. In addition, 38 (12.6%) developed second primary malignancies (SPMs), 8 of which were in-field malignancies. Median time from radiation therapy to all SPM and in-field SPM was 10 years. The 15-year relapse-free survival was 76%, 65%, and 55% in the LR, IR, and HR groups, respectively. Distant metastases-free survival was 88%, 75%, and 63% for LR, IR, and HR patients, respectively. PC-specific mortality was 1.9%, 7.1%, and 12.2% for LR, IR, and HR patients.

This report represents the longest follow-up data set to our knowledge of patients treated with high-dose IMRT for PC. Our findings indicate that it is well tolerated with 1.0% and 2.3% incidence of long-term grade 3+ GI and GU toxicity, respectively. The cohort had excellent PC-specific survival.