FRIDAY, Oct. 4, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and proton beam therapy (PBT) offer similar outcomes for patients with localized prostate cancer, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology, held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 in Washington, D.C.
Jason A. Efstathiou, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues randomly assigned 450 patients with intermediate- or low-risk prostate cancer and without hormonal therapy to PBT or IMRT. Participants were followed longitudinally to assess patient-reported outcomes of bowel, urinary, and sexual function for 60 months after completion of radiotherapy.
The researchers observed no difference between PBT or IMRT for mean change in bowel function score at 24 months, with both arms showing only small, clinically nonmeaningful declines from baseline. There also was no difference seen in bowel function at earlier time points (three to 18 months) or later time points (36 to 60 months). At all time points, there were no differences observed in urinary, sexual, or hormonal domains. Progression-free survival (PFS) was also similar between the groups (93.4 versus 93.7 percent at 60 months; hazard ratio, 1.16; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.53 to 2.57; P = 0.706). When stratifying across low-versus intermediate-risk disease, age, use of rectal spacer, and fractionation schedule, there was no sustained difference observed in any quality-of-life domain or PFS between arms.
"We can use either of these tools with comparably excellent outcomes," Efstathiou said in a statement. "There have been so many advances in the delivery of contemporary radiation -- such as the incorporation of scanned and modulated beams and in-room imaging -- that I think the potential gaps between these technologies have narrowed over time."
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
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