5 Background: We present a large retrospective analysis comparing rectal toxicity following high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy as monotherapy relative to dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for patients with localized prostate cancer. Methods: 2683 patients treated with HDR or EBRT between 1994 and 2017 were included. 545 (20.3%) received HDR and 2138 (79.7%) EBRT. HDR fractionation was 38 Gy/4 fractions (n=321), 24 Gy/2 (n=96), or 27 Gy/2 (n=128). EBRT patients received a median dose of 75.6 Gy in 1.8 Gy fractions [range 70.2-82.8 Gy], using either 3D conformal or intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). All EBRT patients underwent 3D image guidance via an off-line adaptive process. Treatment was directed to prostate only (n=780) or prostate and seminal vesicles (n=1351). No nodal therapy was given. Target volume for HDR patients included the prostate with no expansion. Acute and chronic gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity was defined as occurring ≤ 6 and > 6 months, respectively, after radiotherapy and was graded per CTCAE version 3.0. Toxicity variables were analyzed with χ2 test. Results: Median follow-up was 7.5 years (7.4 years for EBRT and 7.9 years for HDR). 69.1% of EBRT patients received IMRT with the remainder treated using 3D conformal technique. Compared to EBRT, HDR was associated with decreased rates of acute grade ≥ 2 diarrhea (0.7% vs. 4.5%, p < 0.001), rectal pain/tenesmus (0.6% vs. 7.9%, p < 0.001), and rectal bleeding (0% vs. 1.6%, p=0.001). Rates of chronic grade ≥ 2 rectal bleeding (1.3% vs. 8.7%, p < 0.001) and radiation proctitis (0.9% vs. 3.3%, p=0.001) favored HDR over EBRT. Rates of any chronic rectal toxicity grade ≥ 2 were 2.4% vs. 10.5% (p < 0.001) for HDR vs. EBRT, respectively. For the 1478 EBRT patients treated with IMRT, acute and chronic rates of any grade ≥ 2GI toxicity were 4.2% and 5.6%, respectively, compared to 1.5% (p=0.002) and 2.4% (p=0.002), respectively, for HDR patients. Conclusions: In appropriately selected patients with localized prostate cancer undergoing definitive radiation therapy, HDR brachytherapy as monotherapy is an effective strategy for reducing acute and chronic rectal toxicity.
Dose volume histogram analysis of normal structures associated with accelerated partial breast irradiation delivered by high dose rate brachytherapy and comparison with whole breast external beam radiotherapy fields
