Acute toxicity and preliminary therapeutic results of pelvic lymphadenectomy combined with transperineal interstitial implantation of 192IR and external beam radiotherapy for locally advanced prostate cancer

Transperineal percutaneous iridium-192 interstitial template implant of the prostate: results and complications in 321 patients

A total of 321 patients with localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate treated by modified pelvic lymphadenectomy, Iridium-192 implant, and external beam iridium radiation were retrospectively reviewed. Analysis covered 8 years between 1981 and 1989 with a median population age of 72 (range 42 through 82 years). Disease-free survival for the entire group is 69% at 5 years with a median follow-up of 34 months (range 1.5 months to 98.5 months). As expected, both bulkier disease and positive nodal status adversely affected 5-year disease-free survival (p = 0.0001 for both). For tumors stage T1b (A2), T2a (B1), T2b (B2), T3 (C) the disease-free survival is 89.5%, 89.9%, 64.7%, and 48.8%, respectively; for NO disease 5-year disease-free survival is 76.5% versus N1/N2 disease with 5-year disease-free survival of 33.2%. Local control was excellent except for bulkier disease (p = 0.009). Tumors T1b, T2a, T2b, and T3 have 60-month local control rates of 95%, 93%, 83.6%, and 73.1%, respectively. Histologic grade also affected disease-free survival and local control with grade 1, grade 2, grade 3 showing 81.2%, 65.7%, and 45.1% disease-free survival at 5 years; and 93.6%, 82.2%, and 72.4% local control at 5 years. Estimates obtained using Kaplan-Meier method. Radiation induced morbidity was analyzed separately for all patients, there were 41 patients (13% of total) with 54 documented complications. There were no Grade 4 or 5 complications as per RTOG categories. Only 3 cases showed grade 3 complications (1%) and 51 cases showed grade 2 complications (15.9%). Grade 1 complications were not recorded. Of the grade 2 and grade 3 complications 30 were GU and 22 were rectal. The morbidity associated with combined interstitial implantation by transperineal percutaneous template and external beam iridium radiation for the localized prostate cancer is minimal with excellent local control and disease-free survival.

Pelvic lymphadenectomy and transperineal interstitial implantation of IR 192 combined with external beam radiotherapy for bulky stage C prostatic carcinoma

From January 1983 until June 1987, 51 patients with locally advanced prostatic carcinoma (47 Stage C, 4 bulky B2) were treated at Mayo Clinic (33 patients) and at William Beaumont Hospital (18 patients) with (a) 5 Gy delivered pre-operatively in one fraction, (b) pelvic lymphadenectomy and (c) interstitial implantation of the prostate with Ir 192 seeds via a perineal template (the Martinez Universal Perineal Interstitial Template) to deliver 35 Gy, and (d) 30.6 Gy external beam therapy in 17 fractions to prostate only fields. Initial clinical response has been excellent. Local control, with a median follow-up of 45 months, has been 100% by clinical exam and 84.5% pathologically in the subset biopsied. Disease-free actuarial survival at 5 years is 89%. Major toxicity has been limited to the rectum, but a modification of the brachytherapy technique has reduced this sharply. We conclude that bulky Stage C prostatic carcinoma can be successfully treated by this aggressive combination of modalities with acceptable toxicity.

Remote interstitial afterloading in cancer of the prostate: preliminary experience with the MicroSelectron

Brachytherapy in the treatment of prostate cancer is an accepted modality. A considerable experience has been accrued using Iridium interstitial therapy. The major problem associated with this choice is that of radioprotection. We describe the first clinical use of the MicroSelectron, a remote afterloading device, in prostate brachytherapy. Twenty-six patients have now been treated using this system. Approximately 55 treatment interruptions with an average 5 hr increase in overall treatment time occurs. The initial problems associated with instituting remote afterloading to prostate brachytherapy and their solutions are discussed.