San Antonio, October 19, 2015—A long-term follow-up of RTOG 9202 (Hanks 2004) indicates that for patients with locally advanced prostate cancer, an additional 24 months of long-term androgen deprivation (LTAD) therapy after radiation therapy (RT) plus short- term androgen deprivation (STAD) therapy improved disease-free survival (DFS) by 60 percent compared to patients who only received RT plus STAD, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO's) 57th Annual Meeting.

Men with advanced prostate cancer typically receive androgen deprivation (AD) therapy to reduce the level of testosterone in their bodies. Hormone therapy alone cannot cure prostate cancer, however, lowering androgen levels can reduce the size of prostate.

RTOG 9202 was a randomized, multi-institution study of 1,554 patients with locally advanced prostate cancer to evaluate the potential benefits of LTAD compared to STAD. All patients received RT of 44 Gy to 46 Gy to the pelvic lymph nodes and 65 Gy to 70 Gy to the prostate. Patients were randomized into two groups, with both groups receiving AD for four months—both groups of patients received goserelin and flutamide two months prior to RT and two months during RT. After RT, the STAD group received no additional AD therapy; the LTAD group received goserelin for 24 months.
This study's analysis indicates that at 15 years follow-up, the LTAD group continued to show favorable outcomes of DFS compared to the STAD group (16 percent vs 10 percent, HR = 0.72, P

"Our findings reinforce the benefit of longer androgen deprivation therapy for patients with locally advanced prostate cancer," said lead study author Colleen A.F. Lawton, MD, FASTRO and vice-chair of the department of radiation oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "It is encouraging that 15 years after the initial RTOG 9202 trial, the data continues to emphasize the advantages of LTAD on disease-specific survival, and thus more patients with advanced prostate cancer should be considered for and may benefit from LTAD."

The abstract, "Duration of Androgen Deprivation in Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer: Long-term Update of NRG Oncology/RTOG 9202" will be presented in detail during a scientific session at ASTRO's 57th Annual Meeting at 10:45 a.m. Central time on Monday, October 19, 2015. To speak with Dr. Lawton, please call Nancy Mayes on October 18 – 21, 2015, in the ASTRO Press Office at the Henry B. González Convention Center, in San Antonio at 210-258-8104 or 210-258-8104, or email press@astro.org.

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