Intensity-modulated radiation therapy for intermediate-risk prostate cancer: does ADT still have an impact in the dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy era?

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on the survival of intermediate-risk prostate cancer (IR-PCA) patients treated with dose-escalated external beam radiation therapy (DE-EBRT), and to determine the group that will benefit from ADT.

Methods: We analysed 620 IR-PCA patients treated with DE-EBRT at two institutions. Variables were adjusted using the stabilised inverse probability of treatment weighting method (sIPTW) between radiation therapy (RT) and RT plus ADT groups. Biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) rate and overall survival (OS) rate were compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard analysis (CPH) was conducted to detect unfavorable risk factors.

Results: This study included 405 patients; with 217 and 188 patients in the RT and RT plus ADT groups, respectively. The prescribed radiation dose was 78 Gy in 39 fractions. The median follow-up time was 82.0 months. After sIPTW-adjustment, 214.3 and 189.7 patients were assigned to the RT and RT plus ADT groups, respectively. The 7-year bRFS and OS were 89.3% and 94.6% in RT group and 92.3% and 91.0% in RT plus ADT group, respectively. Before and after sIPTW adjustment, no statistically significant differences were found in these endpoints between treatment groups. Multivariate CPH for bRFS revealed Gleason score (GS) 4 + 3 as an unfavorable risk factor, and ADT improved biochemical control of them.

Conclusion: ADT may not always be effective in all Japanese IR-PCA patients treated with DE-EBRT, but it can improve biochemical control in patients with GS 4 + 3.