"Radiation as Treatment for Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer?"

Adding external-beam radiation to brachytherapy does not improve 5-year freedom from progression (FFP) for men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer, but it does increase treatment toxicity, according to a randomized trial. The study included patients with T1c–T2b prostate cancer. The 5-year FFP was 85.6% with the combination, vs 82.7% with brachytherapy alone. Adding external-beam radiation also did not yield an improvement in secondary endpoints of local progression, distant metastases, or disease-specific mortality. The authors concluded that brachytherapy alone can be considered a standard of care for men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer.