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Radiation therapy in the management of locally advanced prostate cancer

  • Published:
Current Prostate Reports

Abstract

Locally advanced prostate cancer generally refers to those patients with clinical stages T3-4 disease. Patients with locally advanced cancer frequently are included in clinical trials that examine treatment for patients at high risk for relapse based on presenting prostate-specific antigen, high Gleason score, or advanced clinical stage. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that men with localized prostate cancer benefit from high-dose radiation therapy delivered with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, or proton beam therapy. Most importantly, neoadjuvant and adjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy have significantly improved outcomes in men with locally advanced or high-risk prostate cancer. Although questions remain regarding the optimal timing and duration of adjuvant hormonal therapy, a combination of long-term androgen deprivation started before radiation therapy and continued for 2 years represents a North American standard of care for this patient population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, 4921 Parkview Place, Campus Box 8224, 63110, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Jeff M. Michalski MD

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  1. Jeff M. Michalski MD
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Correspondence to Jeff M. Michalski MD.

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Michalski, J.M. Radiation therapy in the management of locally advanced prostate cancer. Curr prostate rep 4, 116–123 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11918-006-0024-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11918-006-0024-x

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