Post-Op Radiation May Boost Results for Prostate Cancer Patients: Study

FRIDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A new French study supports the use of radiation therapy after prostate cancer surgery to help prevent recurrence in high-risk patients.

Surgery to remove the prostate (radical prostatectomy) is one of the main treatments for prostate cancer. Experts, however, say the risk of recurrence can be 10 percent to 50 percent in patients whose cancer has already spread beyond the prostate, so post-surgery radiation therapy is commonly prescribed for these men.

The new study included more than 1,000 high-risk prostate cancer patients who had surgery and were followed for more than 10 years. Some of them had immediate radiation therapy (given within four months of surgery) while others were simply monitored for signs of cancer recurrence (watchful waiting).

After 10 years, 61 percent of men who received immediate radiation therapy remained cancer-free, compared with 38 percent of those in the watchful waiting group, according to the study, which was published online Oct. 18 in the journal The Lancet.

"These long-term results reassure us of the continued benefit and safety of radiation therapy after prostatectomy for a large proportion of men with locally advanced or high-risk prostate cancer," study leader Michel Bolla, a professor at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire A Michallon, in France, said in a journal news release.

Bolla also noted that factors such as patient age or tumor status could play into decisions around whether to use radiotherapy. Younger patients, or those whose biopsy shows evidence of cancer's spread, may gain from post-surgical radiation treatments, whereas the therapy might cause more harm than benefit for patients aged 70 or older.

Two specialists in the field said the findings come as little surprise.

"This study confirms what radiation oncologists have known for many years -- namely that certain adverse risk factors seen on final [laboratory results] after a prostatectomy warrant immediate postoperative radiation," said Dr. Jonathan Haas, chief of radiation oncology at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.

Dr. Louis Potters, chairman of radiation medicine at North Shore-LIJ Health System in New Hyde Park, N.Y., agreed.

"In certain men who have surgery for localized prostate cancer, post-operative radiation therapy is a powerful tool that can improve cancer outcomes," he said. Beyond offering certain patients "a second chance at a cure," post-op radiation treatment "also decreases the chances of needing future hormone therapy, which can have an array of unwanted side effects," Potters said.

But Haas stressed that teamwork is key to the proper care of any patient with prostate cancer.

"This study underscores the need for close interdisciplinary cooperation between the urologist, radiation oncologist and pathologist to come up with a tailored treatment plan to maximize outcome for a given patient," he said.

-- Robert Preidt Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Jonathan Haas, M.D., chief, radiation oncology, Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, N.Y.; Louis Potters, M.D., chairman, radiation medicine, North Shore-LIJ Health System, New Hyde Park, N.Y.; The Lancet, news release, Oct. 18, 2012

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Plant-based foods may offer reduced risk for aggressive prostate cancer

ScienceDaily (Oct. 19, 2012) — President George W. Bush made no secret that he detested broccoli. With all due respect to our former leader, researchers have found one more great reason to add fruits, vegetables, herbs and tea to your diet.

A study by Susan Steck of the Arnold School of Public Health finds that a high intake of flavonoids, a group of compounds found in plants, may lower the risk for highly aggressive prostate cancer.

"Incorporating more plant-based foods and beverages, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs and tea, into the diet may offer some protection against aggressive prostate cancer," said Steck, an associate professor at the Arnold School and an affiliated scholar with the Center for Research in Health Disparities.

"Filling your plate with flavonoid-rich foods is one behavior that can be changed to have a beneficial impact on health," she said.

Steck presented her findings at the International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research. The annual event is sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research, whose mission is to prevent and cure cancer through research, education, communication and collaboration.

Prior preclinical studies have shown that flavonoids have beneficial effects against prostate cancer, but few studies have examined the effect of flavonoids on prostate cancer in humans.

Steck and her colleagues used data from 920 African-American men and 977 white men in the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project who were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer. Participants completed a self-reported dietary history questionnaire to assess flavonoid intake, which was measured using the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2011 Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods.

Men with the highest total intake of flavonoids had a 25 percent lower risk for aggressive prostate cancer compared with those men with the lowest flavonoid intake.

"We found that higher total flavonoid intake was associated with reduced odds for aggressive prostate cancer in both African-American and European-American men, but no individual subclass of flavonoids appeared to be protective independently, suggesting that it is important to consume a variety of plant-based foods in the diet, rather than to focus on one specific type of flavonoid or flavonoid-rich food," Steck said.

In addition, the risk for aggressive prostate cancer was even lower in those men younger than 65 and in current smokers with the highest levels of flavonoid intake. Dietary questionnaire results revealed that citrus fruits and juices, such as oranges and grapefruits, tea, grapes, strawberries, onions and cooked greens were the top contributors to total flavonoid intake among the participants. "The results support public health recommendations and guidelines from organizations such as the American Institute for Cancer Research to consume a more plant-based diet," Steck said. "In particular, consuming more flavonoid-rich foods may be beneficial for those people who are at increased risk for cancer, such as smokers."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of South Carolina, via Newswise.

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Targeted Radiation Therapy Minimizes GI Side Effects for Prostate Cancer Patients, Penn Study Shows

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