Low-dose-rate brachytherapy as a minimally invasive curative treatment for localised prostate cancer has excellent oncological and functional outcomes: a retrospective analysis from a single centre

摘要

Introduction Low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy is a widely used therapeutic option for localised prostatecancer. The aim of this study was to analyse the oncological and functional outcomes after 10 yearsof experience with brachytherapy for localised prostate cancer.Material and methods All patients who underwent brachytherapy between April 2006 and September2017 were included for analysis. Initial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, tumour stages, Gleasonscores, positive biopsies, prostate volumes, dosimetric parameters, and urinary symptoms were noted.Results A total of 201 patients underwent brachytherapy between April 2006 and September 2017.Of these patients, 159 had 3 years of oncological and functional follow-up. Only these relevant patientswere included in the statistical analysis. This showed a significant, persistent decline in PSA levels(p 0.0001): the mean PSA was 1.2 ng/ml after 6 months, 1.1 ng/ml after 1 year, and 0.49 ng/ml after3 years. Only 9 patients had tumour recurrence (3 patients with Gleason score 6 and 6 patients withGleason score 7). After receiving adequate treatment, the patients underwent oncological follow-up.Important obstructive and irritative complaints were most pronounced during the first 9 months anddecreased strongly after 18 months of follow-up.Conclusions LDR brachytherapy has excellent oncological outcomes with limited functional inconveniencesthat are adequately treatable. Our 10 years' experience shows that brachytherapy is a safeand effective method for the treatment of low-risk localised prostate cancer.