Salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy: Long-term results of urinary incontinence, toxicity and treatment outcomes

For patients with local recurrent disease after radical prostatectomy (35-54%) salvage radiotherapy (SRT) is the treatment of choice. In the post prostatectomy setting, SRT may impose risk at increased toxicity. As data on long-term toxicity, especially on urinary incontinence, are scarce, we report on the long-term treatment outcomes, toxicity and urinary incontinence rates after SRT.

Patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy, who were treated with SRT (3D-CRT) at our institution between 1998 and 2012, were included in this retrospective cohort analysis. Primary endpoint was urinary incontinence rate. Secondary endpoints were acute and late grade ≥2 genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity rates, biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), disease specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS).

244 patients were included. Median follow-up after SRT was 50 months (range: 4-187 months). Before start of SRT 69.7% of patients were continent for urine. After SRT de novo urinary incontinence complaints (grade ≥ 1) occurred in the respective acute and late phase in 6.1% and 17.6% of patients. Respective acute grade ≥2 GU and GI toxicity was 19.2% and 17.6%. Late grade ≥2 toxicity for GU was 29.9% and for GI was 21.3%, respectively. The respective 5-year bPFS, OS, DSS and DMFS rates were 47.6%, 91.8%, 98.8% and 80.5%.

Experience at our institution with SRT demonstrates that this results in good long-term biochemical control. However, toxicity and urinary incontinence rates were high.

Clinical and translational radiation oncology. 2018 May 29*** epublish ***

Lisanne F van Dessel, Sarah H M Reuvers, Chris H Bangma, Shafak Aluwini

Department of Experimental Urology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands., Department of Urology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands., Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.