[Definitive radical radiotherapy in tumors of the prostate. Analysis of statistics]

The records were analyzed of 50 patients treated by definitive external beam irradiation for carcinoma of the prostate in the Oncologic Radiotherapy Department of the "Ospedali Riuniti" of Bergamo, Italy, from January 1981 to December 1985. Our series of patients included 22 cases of stage B and 28 cases of stage C tumors. The actuarial 5-year survival rates, according to the Kaplan-Meier method, were for the whole group 69.9%; 79.5% and 54.9% for stage B and stage C tumors respectively. Relationships were also analyzed of tumor control and survival to stage, grading, and total dose of radiations. The recent increasing interest is explained in the use of radiation therapy in the treatment of this kind of patients. A special emphasis is put on the role of CT in determining both field size and dose distribution, and on the use of high-voltage energy in order to make treatment more technically reliable and reduce its morbidity.