Androgen Deprivation and Rectal Toxicity in Prostate Cancer Treatment
Author Information
Author(s): Sanguineti G, Agostinelli S, Foppiano F, Franzone P, Garelli S, Marcenaro M, Orsatti M, Vitale V
Primary Institution: National Institute for Cancer Research, Genoa, Italy
Hypothesis
Does androgen deprivation impact late rectal toxicity in patients with localized prostate carcinoma treated with conformal radiotherapy?
Conclusion
Adjuvant androgen deprivation increases the risk of late rectal toxicity in prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients receiving adjuvant hormones had a 2.23 times greater risk of grade 2–4 rectal toxicity.
- The 2-year estimate of grade 2–4 late rectal toxicity was 30.3% for patients receiving adjuvant hormonal treatment.
- Late rectal toxicity was graded according to the RTOG morbidity scoring scale.
- Median follow-up was 25.8 months, with a range of 12 to 70.2 months.
Takeaway
This study found that patients who received hormone treatment along with their prostate cancer radiation therapy had more problems with their rectum afterwards.
Methodology
The study analyzed 182 patients treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy and assessed late rectal toxicity using the RTOG morbidity scoring scale.
Potential Biases
Potential biases include the subjective scoring of late toxicity and variations in treatment protocols among referring urologists.
Limitations
The study was limited to a single institution and may not be generalizable to all patient populations.
Participant Demographics
Median age of participants was 71.5 years, with a range from 50 to 83 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0196
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.11–4.50
Statistical Significance
p=0.0196
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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