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Radiation after prostate surgery

Among men who have undergone radical surgery for advanced prostate cancer, early radiation therapy improves long-term survival, according to recent research.

Radiation after prostate surgery

Recent research shows that early radiation therapy improves long-term survival among men who have undergone radical surgery for advanced prostate cancer. Researchers from the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy, looked at survival in relation to causes of death among 415 patients who underwent radical prostate surgery. The men were given radiation either within 6 months or when their cancer was seen to be returning, or no radiation. It was found that the percentage of men who survived eight years without recurrence was markedly higher among those who received early radiation therapy (69 percent) than among patients given no radiation therapy (31 percent). After adjusting for various factors that could affect survival, the researchers found that patients who received no radiation therapy were 4.3 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than were patients who received early radiation therapy. Overall, 13 percent of patients experienced some acute side effects from radiation treatment and 11 percent experienced some late side effects, but no serious complications occurred. The researchers conclude that radiation treatment seems to benefit prostate cancer patients with a usually poor prognosis, but the results are less than definitive and large ongoing clinical trials would give the final answer.
International Journal of Radiation Oncology,
June 2004
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