A comparative analysis between low-dose-rate brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy for low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer in Asian men

• DOI: 10.1080/0284186x.2021.1950921
• Publication Date: 2021-07-14T12:12:21Z
• Authors: Youquan Li; Thomas Chan Kong ...; Siqin Zhou; Jerome Yap Haw Hwong; Eric Pang Pei Ping; Ashley Ong Li Kuan; Michael Wang Lian...; Melvin Chua Lee K...; Wen Shen Looi; Wen Long Nei; Eu Tiong Chua; Weber Lau Kam On; Terence Tan Wee Kiat; John Yuen Shyi Peng; Jeffrey Tuan Kit ...
• Keywords: Male; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Risk Factors; Brachytherapy; Humans; Prostatic Neoplasms; Radiotherapy Dosage; Retrospective Studies; 3. Good health

To report the long-term clinical outcomes of low-risk (LR) and intermediate-risk (IR) prostate cancer patients treated with low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Men with biopsy-proven low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer received EBRT and LDR-BT in an Asian academic center from 2000 to 2019 were reviewed. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was performed to compare biochemical failure-free survival (bFFS) and overall survival (OS) between LDR and EBRT in the low- and intermediate-risk cohorts. 642 patients (521 EBRT and 121 LDR-BT) with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer were included for analysis. In the intermediate-risk group, 5- and 10-year bFFS was 96%, 89% and 86%, 61% for LDR-BT and EBRT, respectively. LDR-BT was associated with a statistically significant improvement of bFFS in the intermediate-risk cohort (HR 2.7, p = 0.02). In the low-risk cohort, no difference of bFFS was found between LDR-BT and EBRT (HR 1.9, p = 0.08). Hormone therapy was more common in EBRT than LDR-BT for intermediate-risk group (71% versus 44%, p p = 0.2 and HR = 1.7, p = 0.3). In our retrospective study, LDR-BT is associated with superior bFFS compared with EBRT in Asian men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer.