The past 12 to 18 months have seen remarkable new scientific evidence come to light regarding the attributes and benefits of brachytherapy, including Cesium-131, for prostate cancer treatment. This newly disseminated scientific evidence shows men treated with brachytherapy for prostate cancer can enjoy a high post-treatment quality of life with equivalent if not superior disease control.
We are pleased to share the following titles, snapshots and links to additional detail in the hopes that many clinicians, patients and their loved ones will benefit from knowing the facts about all of their prostate cancer treatment options. We hope you will share with members of your care community as well.
“Long-term Quality of Life in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Cesium-131”
Originally published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology – “We have previously reported that Cesium-131 leads to quicker recovery of voiding function, with return to clinical baseline by 3 months and statistical baseline by 6 months post-treatment,” said Ron Benoit, MD, a urologist who was the study author. “Our current findings strengthen this body of literature by demonstrating that patients treated with the Cesium-131 isotope are able to maintain this baseline quality of life in the long term.” Read more.
“Brachytherapy-Based Radiotherapy and Radical Prostatectomy Are Associated With Similar Survival in High-Risk Localized Prostate Cancer”
Originally published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology – “Men who had EBRT plus ADT, but no brachytherapy, had a significantly greater mortality risk versus surgery,” reported Ronald D. Ennis, MD, of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Read more.
Androgen Suppression Combined with Elective Nodal and Dose Escalated Radiation Therapy (the ASCENDE-RT Trial) – An Analysis of Survival Endpoints for a Randomized Trial Comparing a Low-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Boost to a Dose-Escalated External Beam Boost for High- and Intermediate-risk Prostate Cancer
Originally published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology – “Compared with 78 Gy EBRT, men randomized to the [Low Dose Rate Prostate Brachytherapy] (LDR-PB) boost were twice as likely to be free of biochemical failure at a median follow-up of 6.5 years.”
David Beyer, MD, FASTRO, medical director of the Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona in Sedona and immediate past chair of the ASTRO board of directors, says, “We were very excited about the promise of IMRT. What made it so attractive was that it allowed for dose escalation. Oncologists and urologists—I include myself—thought that dose escalation with IMRT alone was good enough.”
Data made available via ASCENDE-RT led to another reconsideration.
“The data show that the decision to do less brachytherapy and more IMRT was wrong,” Beyer says. Read more.
Let’s talk
If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and want to know about all of your available treatment options, including brachytherapy, please contact patienteducation@isoray.flywheelstaging.com.
If you are a physician and would like to know more about how Cesium-131 may improve patient outcomes, email customerservice@isoray.flywheelstaging.com.
