Shouko Kotani

Genitourinary toxicity after high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy combined with Hypofractionated External beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer: an analysis to determine the correlation between dose-volume histogram parameters in HDR brachytherapy and severity of toxicity.

PURPOSE To evaluate the severity of genitourinary (GU) toxicity in high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy combined with hypofractionated external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer and to explore factors that might affect the severity of GU toxicity. METHODS AND MATERIALS A total of 100 Japanese men with prostate cancer underwent (192)Ir HDR brachytherapy combined with hypofractionated EBRT. Mean (SD) dose to 90% of the planning target volume was 6.3 (0.7) Gy per fraction of HDR. After 5 fractions of HDR treatment, EBRT with 10 fractions of 3 Gy was administrated. The urethral volume receiving 1-15 Gy per fraction in HDR brachytherapy (V1-V15) and the dose to at least 5-100% of urethral volume in HDR brachytherapy (D5-D100) were compared between patients with Grade 3 toxicity and those with Grade 0-2 toxicity. Prostate volume, patient age, and International Prostate Symptom Score were also compared between the two groups. RESULTS Of the 100 patients, 6 displayed Grade 3 acute GU toxicity, and 12 displayed Grade 3 late GU toxicity. Regarding acute GU toxicity, values of V1, V2, V3, and V4 were significantly higher in patients with Grade 3 toxicity than in those with Grade 0-2 toxicity. Regarding late GU toxicity, values of D70, D80, V12, and V13 were significantly higher in patients with Grade 3 toxicity than in those with Grade 0-2 toxicity. CONCLUSIONS The severity of GU toxicity in HDR brachytherapy combined with hypofractionated EBRT for prostate cancer was relatively high. The volume of prostatic urethra was associated with grade of acute GU toxicity, and urethral dose was associated with grade of late GU toxicity.

Comparison of Prophylactic Naftopidil, Tamsulosin, and Silodosin for 125I Brachytherapy–Induced Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Patients With Prostate Cancer: Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE To compare the efficacy of three α(1A)/α(1D)-adrenoceptor (AR) antagonists--naftopidil, tamsulosin, and silodosin--that have differing affinities for the α(1)-AR subtypes in treating urinary morbidities in Japanese men with (125)I prostate implantation (PI) for prostate cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS This single-institution prospective randomized controlled trial compared naftopidil, tamsulosin, and silodosin in patients undergoing PI. Patients were randomized and received either naftopidil, tamsulosin, or silodosin. Treatment began 1 day after PI and continued for 1 year. The primary efficacy variables were the changes in total International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and postvoid residual urine (PVR). The secondary efficacy variables were changes in IPSS storage score and IPSS voiding score from baseline to set points during the study (1, 3, 6, and 12 months). RESULTS Two hundred twelve patients were evaluated in this study between June 2006 and February 2009: 71, 70, and 71 patients in the naftopidil, tamsulosin, and silodosin groups, respectively. With respect to the primary efficacy variables, the mean changes in the total IPSS at 1 month after PI in the naftopidil, tamsulosin, and silodosin groups were +10.3, +8.9, and +7.5, respectively. There were significantly greater decreases with silodosin than naftopidil at 1 month in the total IPSS. The mean changes in the PVR at 6 months were +14.6, +23.7, and +5.7 mL in the naftopidil, tamsulosin, and silodosin groups, respectively; silodosin showed a significant improvement in the PVR at 6 months vs. tamsulosin. With respect to the secondary efficacy variables, the mean changes in the IPSS voiding score at 1 month in the naftopidil, tamsulosin, and silodosin groups were +6.5, +5.6, and +4.5, respectively; silodosin showed a significant improvement in the IPSS voiding score at 1 month vs. naftopidil. CONCLUSIONS Silodosin has a greater impact on improving PI-induced lower urinary tract symptoms than the other two agents.

Clinical outcome of supracricoid laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy: Radiation failure versus previously untreated patients

OBJECTIVE A history of radiation therapy is known to be a major risk factor promoting post-surgical complications. By comparing the clinical outcomes of supracricoid laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (SCL-CHEP) in irradiated and non-irradiated patients, we investigated the usefulness of salvage SCL-CHEP. METHODS 73 patients who received SCL-CHEP between 1997 and 2010 (30 had received radiation therapy preoperatively and 43 had not). Staging error, wound infection, accuracy of surgical margin determination, acquired laryngeal function, and prognosis were compared between the two groups. RESULTS Staging error occurred in 6/30 (20%) irradiated and 14/43 (33%) non-irradiated patients. An intraoperative margin study demonstrated a dysplastic or positive margin in 15/30 (50%) irradiated and 13/43 (30%) non-irradiated patients. Wound infection developed in 12/30 (40%) irradiated and 7/43 (16%) non-irradiated patients (P<0.05). Delayed wound infection was identified in four patients with a radiation dose over 65Gy. Swallowing function (ability to eat in public) was acquired in 28/30 (93%) irradiated and 39/43 (91%) non-irradiated patients. Five-year larynx preservation rates were 94% in irradiated and 91% in non-irradiated patients. Five-year overall survival rates were 81% in irradiated and 87% in non-irradiated patients. CONCLUSIONS Risk of infection was significantly higher in irradiated patients; delayed infection should be appropriately managed. Functional and oncological results were stable regardless of radiation history. We encourage head and neck surgeons to take reasonable risks in performing salvage SCL-CHEP.

Four-year experience of interstitial permanent brachytherapy for Japanese men with localized prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE To report 4 year results obtained with our initial 100 patients with localized prostate cancer treated by interstitial permanent brachytherapy. METHODS One-hundred Japanese men with clinically localized prostate cancer underwent interstitial permanent prostate brachytherapy using (125)I seeds. Median follow-up was 36 months (range, 30-42 months). Median initial prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 6.7 ng/ml (range, 1.5-25.2 ng/ml). Of these 100 patients, 31 received neoadjuvant hormone therapy for several months. Treatment morbidities were assessed using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scale and National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria. RESULTS A mean of 95 seeds (range, 48-123 seeds) were successfully implanted in patients with prostate cancer. Mean prostate volume receiving at least 100% dose (V100) and dose to 90% of prostate volume (D90) for the 100 patients were 96.6% and 166.1 Gy, respectively. Urinary morbidity was common, but was usually not severe. Only four patients needed catheterization for urinary retention (Grade 3) during follow-up. Most patients displayed no rectal morbidity after implantation, with only 3% of patients showing RTOG Grade 2 rectal morbidity and no patients showing morbidity of Grade 3 or more. Three patients experienced biochemical failure according to Phoenix consensus definition during follow-up. One patient displayed clinical failure with lymph node recurrence. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that interstitial permanent brachytherapy is safe and effective for Japanese patients with localized prostate cancer. The import of matured techniques developed in Western countries might allow bypass of the trial-and-error process in Japanese institutions.

Cost comparison of curative therapies for localized prostate cancer in Japan: a single-institution experience

PurposeIn addition to open surgery, curative therapies for prostate cancer now include endoscopic surgery and radiation therapies. Because of the expansion and subdivision of treatment methods for prostate cancer, the medical fee point schedule in Japan was revised in fiscal year 2006. We examined changes in medical income and expenditure after this revision of the medical fee system.Materials and methodsWe studied income and expenditure, after institution of the new medical fee schedule, for the five types of therapies for prostate cancer performed at our hospital: two surgical therapies (radical retropubic prostatectomy and laparoscopic prostatectomy) and three radiation therapies (three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, 192Ir high-dose-rate brachytherapy, and 125I low-dose-rate brachytherapy).ResultsLow-dose-rate brachytherapy was found to be associated with a profit of yy199 per patient. Laparoscopic prostatectomy, a highly advanced medical treatment that the fee revision changed from a partially insured to an insured procedure, yielded a profit of yy75 672 per patient. However, high-dose-rate brachytherapy was associated with a loss of yy654 016 per patient.ConclusionGiven the loss in hospital income per patient undergoing high-dose-rate brachytherapy, the medical fee point system for this procedure should be reassessed.

Interactive-plan technique conquers the disadvantages of volume-reducing hormone therapy in 125I permanent implantation for localized prostate cancer

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to assess the impact of hormone therapy on post-implant dosimetry in patients in whom pre-plan and interactive-plan techniques were used for transperineal brachytherapy against prostatic cancer.MethodsThe subjects comprised 244 patients treated using 125I seed implantation as monotherapy. The prescribed dose to the periphery of the prostate was 145 Gy. The pre-plan technique was used for 116 patients, and the interactiveplan technique for 128 patients. Hormone therapy was used in 71 patients (29.1%). The D90 (dose to 90% of prostate volume) of post-implant computed tomography (CT) analysis was assessed in both groups. In addition, the ratio of post-implant CT volume to preoperative ultrasonography (US) volume was assessed.ResultsIn the pre-plan group, D90 was significantly lower for patients who received hormone therapy than for those who did not (P = 0.035). However, in the interactive-plan group, D90 did not differ between patients with and without hormone therapy (P = 0.467). The CT-to-US prostate volume ratio was 1.022 for patients who received hormone therapy and 0.960 for patients who did not (P = 0.021).ConclusionPost-traumatic swelling following implantation is increased by cessation of hormone therapy and may reduce D90. However, the present results suggest that the interactive-plan technique overcomes this disadvantage of hormone therapy.

Needle position during 125I seed implantation: accurately recognized by sagittal transrectal ultrasonography?

PurposeThe aim of this study was to assess the variation of probe rotation angles for detecting a single needle using sagittal images of transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS).Materials and methodsA phantom study was performed. One needle was inserted through each of 10 holes of the template, and variations in the probe rotation angles for detecting the needle were measured.ResultsThe mean variation of probe rotation for detecting a single needle was 17.0° (range 4°–25°). Slightly broader variation was seen for the needle in holes farther away from the probe.ConclusionProbe rotation angles for detecting a single needle displayed considerable variation. Seed locations recognized on sagittal imaging by TRUS are thus indeterminate, and real-time dose calculations using TRUS for 125I seed implantation should be used with care.