New York Prostate Institute Release: Study Shows Three Leading Prostate Cancer Treatments Have Similar Outcomes

LONG ISLAND, N.Y., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- A seven-year study of more than 1800 early-stage prostate cancer patients treated solely with either radical prostatectomy, external beam radiation therapy, or brachytherapy (in which radioactive seeds are implanted into the prostate), showed statistically similar outcomes with each of the treatment options. This is one of the largest head-to-head studies to date and included patients from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (1178 patients) and Memorial Sloan-Kettering on Long Island (641 patients).

The study in the April issue of Radiotherapy and Oncology compared 746 radical prostatectomy (RP), 340 external beam radiation therapy (RT) and 732 prostate brachytherapy (PB) patients with T-1 and T-2 sized tumors. All three therapies had statistically similar outcomes at seven years, concluding that this patient population can expect generally excellent outcomes regardless of their treatment choice.

The decision tree for choosing one treatment option over another is complicated because patients in many of the existing studies were treated with more than one therapeutic option, for example radical prostatectomy combined with adjuvant hormone therapy. This study included only patients treated with a single therapy, creating a less biased, head-to-head comparison of the treatment options than previous studies.

"This study is important because we have not seen much side-by-side randomized data for patients with clinically localized prostate cancer, who are treated with only one therapy," said Louis Potters, MD, the study's lead author. "The fact that the study was unencumbered by mixing treatments, and that there was sufficient follow-up in each study group, strengthens the power of the results."

Urologists often consider RP the gold-standard treatment, but this rather large study bolsters existing research that shows similar results with brachytherapy or radiation.

"Patients now can be confident in their decision to select brachytherapy as a tested and successful treatment option that eliminates the complications associated with radical prostatectomy," said Dr. Potters, who now is the director of the New York Prostate Institute, the first comprehensive center in the Eastern United States entirely devoted to the care of patients with prostate cancer who seek cutting-edge first-line treatment or second opinions.

In this study, pre-treatment PSA levels and biopsy Gleason scores determined outcome. Age, race, clinical stage, and treatment approach did not play a role in predicting recurrence. The study indicates patients with clinically localized disease should choose their personal avenue of least regret, balancing outcomes and toxicity.

The New York Prostate Institute is the first comprehensive center in the Eastern United States entirely devoted to the care of patients with prostate cancer who seek cutting-edge first-line treatment or second opinions. With an emphasis on education about all treatment options, the doctor-patient team walks through a sophisticated decision tree to determine the most appropriate treatment plan based on the nuances of each patient's case. NYPI is a leader in enhancing the treatment of prostate cancer and offers patients the opportunity to participate in several research protocols. Existing and new brachytherapy practitioners receive the most stringent training available. Patients can call 516-632-3370, or view the website at http://www.nyprostate.org/.

New York Prostate Institute

CONTACT: Stacy John of New York Prostate Institute, +1-516-632-3370

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