Radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma: the JCRT experience (1968-1978). II. Factors related to tumor control and complications.

We have analyzed treatment failure and complications as a function of radiotherapy technique and other factors in 229 patients irradiated for prostate carcinoma from 1968-1978. Thirty-four patients (15%) developed clinical evidence of local-regional recurrence. In about one-quarter of these recurrences, there was a component of ureteral obstruction, possibly due to marginal miss in the seminal vesicles. Although different parameters of treatment technique were not significantly correlated with local failure, there was a trend toward higher failure rates for Stage B and C patients when the length and/or width of the conedown field was less than 8 cm (p = 0.27 and 0.25, respectively). As in other recent studies, patients with Stage C disease who had undergone trans-urethral resection of the prostate had a lower disease-free survival rate than patients who had only needle biopsy (39 vs. 65% at 5 years, p = 0.055). The use of larger initial fields treating the pelvic lymph nodes did not result in better local tumor control or better overall control. However, the use of larger fields did result in a higher rate of significant complications (8.7 vs. 1.6% for fields greater than or equal to 150 cm2 or less than 150 cm2, respectively, p = 0.013). In view of the higher complication rate and the absence of convincing evidence of benefit for whole pelvic treatment, irradiation of all pelvic lymph nodes can be questioned.