P. Rubin

Phase III radiation therapy oncology group (RTOG) trial 86-10 of androgen deprivation adjuvant to definitive radiotherapy in locally advanced carcinoma of the prostate

PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that androgen ablation before and during radiotherapy for locally advanced carcinoma of the prostate may, by reducing tumor bulk and enhancing tumor cell kill, improve locoregional control and ultimately survival. METHODS AND MATERIALS The study was conducted from 1987 to 1991. Eligible patients were those with bulky tumors (T2--T4) with or without pelvic lymph node involvement and without evidence of distant metastases. They were randomized to receive goserelin, 3.6 mg every 4 weeks; and flutamide, 250 mg t.i.d. for 2 months before radiation therapy and during radiation therapy (Arm I), or radiation therapy alone (Arm II). Of 471 randomized patients, 456 were evaluable: 226 on Arm I and 230 on Arm II. RESULTS As of November 1999, the median follow-up has reached 6.7 years for all patients and 8.6 years for alive patients. At 8 years, androgen ablation has been associated with an improvement in local control (42% vs. 30%, p = 0.016), reduction in the incidence of distant metastases (34% vs. 45%, p = 0.04), disease-free survival (33% vs. 21%, p = 0.004), biochemical disease-free survival = PSA <1.5 (24% vs. 10%, p < 0.0001), and cause-specific mortality (23% vs. 31%, p = 0.05). However, subset analysis indicates that the beneficial effect of short-term androgen ablation appears preferentially in patients with Gleason score 2--6. In that population, there is a highly significant improvement in all endpoints, including survival (70% vs. 52%, p = 0.015). In patients with Gleason 7--10 tumors, the regimen has not resulted in a significant enhancement in either locoregional control or survival. CONCLUSION In patients with Gleason score 2--6 carcinoma of the prostate, a short course of androgen ablation administered before and during radiotherapy has been associated with a highly significant improvement in local control, reduction in disease progression, and overall survival.

Short-Term Neoadjuvant Androgen Deprivation Therapy and External-Beam Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer: Long-Term Results of RTOG 8610

PURPOSE Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 8610 was the first phase III randomized trial to evaluate neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in combination with external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in men with locally advanced prostate cancer. This report summarizes long-term follow-up results. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 1987 and 1991, 456 assessable patients (median age, 70 years) were enrolled. Eligible patients had bulky (5 x 5 cm) tumors (T2-4) with or without pelvic lymph node involvement according to the 1988 American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging system. Patients received combined ADT that consisted of goserelin 3.6 mg every 4 weeks and flutamide 250 mg tid for 2 months before and concurrent with EBRT, or they received EBRT alone. Study end points included overall survival (OS), disease-specific mortality (DSM), distant metastasis (DM), disease-free survival (DFS), and biochemical failure (BF). RESULTS Ten-year OS estimates (43% v 34%) and median survival times (8.7 v 7.3 years) favored ADT and EBRT, respectively; however, these differences did not reach statistical significance (P = .12). There was a statistically significant improvement in 10-year DSM (23% v 36%; P = .01), DM (35% v 47%; P = .006), DFS (11% v 3%; P < .0001), and BF (65% v 80%; P < .0001) with the addition of ADT, but no differences were observed in the risk of fatal cardiac events. CONCLUSION The addition of 4 months of ADT to EBRT appears to have a dramatic impact on clinically meaningful end points in men with locally advanced disease with no statistically significant impact on the risk of fatal cardiac events.

Influence of location and extent of surgical resection on survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme: Results of three consecutive radiation therapy oncology group (RTOG) clinical trials

PURPOSE The influence of tumor site, size, and extent of surgery on the survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme treated on three consecutive prospectively randomized Radiation Therapy Oncology Group trials employing surgery and irradiation plus or minus chemotherapy was studied. METHODS AND MATERIALS Six hundred forty-five patients with a diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme on central pathological review were analyzed for survival with respect to known prognostic factors, that is, age and Karnofsky Performance Status, as well as extent of surgery, site, and size. Surgical treatment consisted of biopsy only in 17%, partial resection in 64%, and total resection in 19%. Tumors were located in frontal lobe in 43%, temporal lobe in 28%, and parietal lobe in 25%. Maximum tumor diameter as determined on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans was less than 5 cm for 38%, between 5-10 cm for 56% and greater than 10 cm for 6% of patients. The extent of surgical therapy was the same for tumors greater than 5 or greater than 10 cm, whereas total resection was more often performed for tumors less than 5 cm. The extent of surgery did not appear to vary with age or site. RESULTS Patients undergoing total resection had a median survival of 11.3 months compared to 6.6 months for patients with a biopsy only. A significant difference in median survival was also found for partial resection versus biopsy only treatment (10.4 vs. 6.6 months). There was no difference in survival for the different tumor sizes. Patients with frontal lobe tumors survived longer than those with temporal or parietal lobe lesions (11.4 months, 9.1 months, and 9.6 months, respectively) (p = 0.01). A Cox multivariate model confirmed a significant correlation of age, Karnofsky Performance Status, extent of surgery, and primary site with survival. The best survival rates occurred in patients who had at least three of the following features: < 40 years of age, high Karnofsky Performance Status, frontal tumors, and total resection (17 months median). CONCLUSION We conclude that biopsy only yields inferior survival to more extensive surgery for patients with glioblastoma multiforme treated with surgery and radiation therapy.

Adverse effects of brain irradiation correlated with MR and CT imaging.

Forty-one patients treated for primary malignancies of the brain at the University of Rochester Cancer Center since 1970 were assessed for adverse effects of irradiation clinically, and by computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. At diagnosis, patients ranged in age from 1-65 years (median 19 years) and the most common tumor (in 30) was astrocytoma. Radiation doses ranged from 45 to 81.3 Gy (median 56.8 Gy). White matter changes visible on MR were graded on a scale of 1-4, with grades 1-2 known to occur in some normal patients. Areas of increased signal intensity not associated with the tumor or surgery were visible in all patients (gr 1 = 37%, gr 2 = 32%, gr 3 = 17%, gr 4 = 15%) whereas only 35% had regions of abnormality (hypodensity) on CT. Sulci enlargement and ventricular abnormalities (asymmetry or dilatation) were present in approximately 50% of patients by each technique. Higher grade MR lesions were associated with radiation to large volumes and high doses. For the 36 patients treated with 1.5-2.0 Gy daily fractions, the mean radiation dose by grade was as follows: gr 1 = 55.1 Gy, gr 2 = 58.8 Gy, gr 3 = 60.0 Gy, gr 4 = 63.5 Gy. All 5 patients treated on a hyperfractionated schedule had gr 1-2 changes despite receiving greater than 70 Gy. Fifty percent of patients treated to the whole brain (+/- boost) had gr 3-4 changes, compared with 14% treated with local fields (peak dose regions similar in both groups). Among the children (less than or equal to 13 years), 20% had gr 3-4 changes compared with 56% of adults (excluding hyperfractionated patients). This finding may be due entirely or in part to the lower radiation doses used for children (mean 54.4 Gy vs. 63.7 Gy in adults). Clinical abnormalities attributable to irradiation included an impairment in mental functioning in 7 adults, and learning disabilities in 5 children. Five of these adults (71%) had gr 3-4 changes on MR as compared to gr 3-4 changes in 29% of the remaining adult group. Five patients developed seizure disorders. We conclude that adverse effects of brain irradiation are more sensitively imaged by MR than CT and that these abnormalities are associated with larger treatment volumes and either (or both) higher doses or older age. Conversely, some patients treated with high radiation doses have unremarkable changes on MR, and others have severe white matter changes which are not clinically expressed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A report of RTOG 8206: A phase III study of whether the addition of single dose hemibody irradiation to standard fractionated local field irradiation is more effective than local field irradiation alone in the treatment of symptomatic osseous metastases

Hemibody irradiation (HBI) in a single exposure is an effective and safe technique for palliation of symptoms due to widespread bony metastases (RTOG 78-10). The present study (82-06) sought to explore the possibility that HBI added to local-field irradiation might delay the onset of metastases in the hemibody effected, as assessed by bone scans and X rays, and decrease the frequency of further treatment. The results of this clinical trial establish that 800 cGy of HBI is indeed causes micro-metastases to regress, perhaps completely. A total of 499 patients were randomized to receive either HBI or no further treatment following completion of standard palliative local field irradiation (300 cGy x 10) to the symptomatic site. Improvement was seen in time-to-disease progression at one year, 35% for local + HBI versus 46% on the local-only control arm. Time-to-new disease in the targeted hemibody was also improved. At one year, 50% of patients on the local + HBI arm showed new disease compared to 68% on the local-only arm. Furthermore, the median time-to-new disease within the targeted HBI area was 12.6 months for the local + HBI arm versus 6.3 months for patients in the local-only arm. Time-to-new treatment within the hemibody segment was also delayed. At one year, 76% of the local only group had been retreated versus 60% in the local + HBI arm. There were no fatalities and no radiation pneumonitis was seen in the local + HBI arm. Overall, the incidence of toxicities was low (5-15%). The occurrence of severe hematopoetic toxicities were significantly different in the local + HBI arm, but they were transitory. One life-threatening thrombocytopenia occurred, for a limited time, indicating excellent tolerance to HBI. This clinical trial demonstrates that HBI has the potential to be used to treat systemic and occult metastases, particularly if both halves of the body can be treated.

FINAL REPORT ON PHASE I TRIAL OF WR-2721 BEFORE PROTRACTED FRACTIONATED RADIATION THERAPY*

This is the final report of the Phase I Protocol for the initial clinical study of Multiple Dose WR-2721 with radiotherapy (RTOG 80-02). The essential object of the study was to determine the highest dose of WR-2721 that could be given daily for the greatest number of weeks 15 to 30 minutes before conventional radiation treatment schedules. Eighty-four patients were entered into various dose levels. The major and dose-limiting toxicities were emesis, hypotension and malaise. The latter symptom was characterized by increasing weakness, fatigability, and ill-feeling. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) established by this study is 340 mg/m2 given 4 days a week (excepting Wednesday) for 5 weeks. The drug is delivered intravenously in 7 minutes. There were no long-term blood chemistry changes. There were no deaths due to the administration of the radioprotector.

Phase II, two-arm RTOG trial (94-11) of bischloroethyl-nitrosourea plus accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy (64.0 or 70.4 Gy) based on tumor volume (> 20 or ≤ 20 cm2, respectively) in the treatment of newly-diagnosed radiosurgery-ineligible glioblastoma multiforme patients

PURPOSE To compare survivorship, and acute and delayed toxicities following radiation therapy (RT) of radiosurgery-ineligible glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients treated with tumor volume-influenced, high-dose accelerated, hyperfractionated RT plus bischloroethyl-nitrosourea (BCNU), using prior RTOG malignant glioblastoma patients as historical controls. METHODS AND MATERIALS One hundred four of 108 patients accrued from June 1994 through May 1995 from 26 institutions were analyzable. Patients were histologically confirmed with GBM, and previously untreated. Treatment assignment (52 patients/arm) was based on tumor mass (TM), defined as the product of the maximum diameter and greatest perpendicular dimension of the titanium-gadolinium-enhanced postoperative MRI: Arm A, 64 Gy, TM > 20 cm(2); or Arm B, 70.4 Gy, TM < or = 20 cm(2). Both Arms A and B received BCNU (80 mg/m(2), under hyperhydration) days 1-3, 56-58, then 4 cycles, each 8 weeks, for a total of 6 treatment series. RESULTS During the 24 months immediately post-treatment, the overall median survival was 9.1 months in Arm A (64 Gy) and 11.0 months in Arm B (70.4 Gy). Median survival in recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) Class III/IV was 10.4 months in Arm A and 12.2 months in Arm B, while RPA Class V/VI was 7.6 months in Arm A and 6.1 months in Arm B. There were no grade 4 neurological toxicities in Arm A; 2 grade 4 neurological toxicities were observed in Arm B (1 motor deficit, 1 necrosis at 157 days post-treatment). CONCLUSION This strategy of high-dose, accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy shortens overall RT treatment times while allowing dose escalation, and it provides the potential for combination with currently available, as well as newer, chemotherapy agents. Survival is comparable with previously published RTOG data, and toxicities are within acceptable limits.

The effect of overall treatment time on the outcome of definitive radiotherapy for localized prostate carcinoma: The radiation therapy oncology group 75-06 and 77-06 experience

From 1976 to 1983, 1091 patients were entered into RTOG protocols 75-06 and 77-06. Of these, 780 patients complied with protocol requirements, received a minimum tumor dose of greater than or equal to 6500 cGy, and received no endocrine therapy. There were 78, 342, and 360 patients with localized prostate carcinoma, Stages T1b(A2), T2(B), and T3,4(C), respectively. The potential follow-up period ranges from 6 years 5 months to 13 years 3 months, with a median follow-up of 9 years. This study examines the influence of overall treatment time on the outcome of definitive radiotherapy for localized prostate carcinoma in this patient population. Within each stage, patients were divided into three groups according to the total number of elapsed days while on treatment: within 49 days (less than or equal to 7 weeks); 50 to 63 days (8 to 9 weeks); and greater than or equal to 64 days (greater than 9 weeks). Based on actuarial analysis, within each stage, the overall treatment time did not have any impact on the following: overall survival, NED survival, or local/regional control. When grouped under different histologic grades, that is, Gleason scores 2-5, 6-7, and 8-10, the actuarial local/regional control showed no statistical difference among the three groups. The actual local/regional failures were analyzed and stratified by stage and Gleason scores, and no statistical difference was noted among the three groups for each stratification. The range of local/regional failure rates among the three groups for T1b(A2), T2(B), and T3,4(C) disease were 0%-8%, 16%-23%, and 24%-27%, respectively. The corresponding range of local/regional failure rates for patients with Gleason scores of 2-5, 6-7, and 8-10 were 13%-14%, 18%-22%, and 22%-33%, respectively. The incidence of late complications was not related to the number of elapsed treatment days. Therefore, the overall treatment time does not have an impact on the outcome of definitive radiotherapy for localized prostate carcinoma. It is hypothesized that prostate carcinoma behaves as late-reacting tissue in which there is little, if any, accelerated repopulation of clonogenic tumor cells during the later half of a protracted course of radiotherapy. This observation is in direct contrast to that suggested for head and neck carcinoma and bears important implications in daily radiotherapeutic management of patients with prostate carcinoma.

Combined modality treatment of regional small cell unidifferentiated carcinoma of the lung: A cooperative study of the RTOG and ECOG

Between 1975 and 1979, 271 patients with regional small cell undifferentiated (including oat cell) carcinoma of the lung were entered into a study involving treatment by radiation therapy (4500 cGy (rad) in five weeks) to the primary tumor, mediastinum and supraclavicular lymph nodes, and a randomization to receive or not receive prophylactic treatment of the brain (3000 cGy in two weeks) and a randomization to prophylactic or delayed chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide and CCNU). Analysis of the data indicates that the median survival for responders (53 weeks) was significantly longer than that of the non-responders and partial responders (37 and 34 weeks). Median survival by treatment arm was 48 weeks for thoracic irradiation (TI), brain irradiation (BI), and early chemotherapy (CT), 44 weeks for TI alone, 41 weeks for TI and CT, 38 weeks for TI and BI. Regional complete and partial tumor responses were 52 and 25% for prophylactic chemotherapy and 44 and 35% for delayed chemotherapy. The site of first failure was regional in 12%, regional and distant simultaneously in 21%, and distant only in 46%. Elective brain irradiation significantly reduced the incidence of brain metastases from 21 and 5%, but did not improve survival.

Absence of prognostic significance, peritoneal dissemination and treatment advantage in endometrial cancer patients with positive peritoneal cytology

Peritoneal cytology has been shown to be one of the prognostic factors in endometrial cancer. A series of 134 patients was seen between January 1977 and March 1985 with clinical Stage I (or treated as a clinical Stage I) endometrial adenocarcinoma at the University of Rochester Cancer Center. The majority of patients underwent extrafascial hysterectomy with the majority of washings obtained at the time of surgery. Fourteen percent (19/134) of the patients were found to have positive cytology. Eleven patients with positive cytology (11/19) were treated with local-regional pelvic treatment; the other eight patients received whole abdominal therapy. The recurrence rates were less with the local treatment than with the whole abdominal treatment groups (9.1% vs. 25%) in those patients having positive cytology. There was no statistical difference in recurrence rates between the pathologic Stage I patients with positive cytology (10%) versus those patients having negative cytology (5%), nor was there statistical difference in survival between pathologic Stage I positive or negative cytology patients. It is suggestive from this non-randomized study that positive cytology in endometrial cancer is not an independent prognostic factor and that whole abdominal irradiation did not influence outcome.