prostate-report.org

Management of prostate cancer recurrence after definitive radiation therapy

The management of prostate cancer recurrence after definitive radiation therapy is shifting and there is no consensus regarding the optimal strategy. The major challenge is determining the anatomical site of relapse. In case of biochemical relapse, androgen deprivation therapy is a non-curative option commonly used, while patients with a local prostate cancer recurrence could be managed through a curative intent.

A recent study at  Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montreal, Canada, has offered a new review of the treatment of patients in biochemical relapse after first-line radiation therapy. These patients have numerous options, but “best practices” for such patients are not well defined and long-term outcome data are relatively sparse. According to study conclusion, the biggest problem with such patients is being able to identify precisely where the recurrence has occurred — within the previously radiated area (local relapse) or somewhere else entirely (potentially micrometatstic disease). However, the authors state in their abstract that each clinical situation should be discussed in a multidisciplinary setting. Different options should be explained to the patient and decision should be taken after balancing treatment outcomes with life expectancy.