Volume and hormonal effects for acute side effects of rectum and bladder during conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer

Conclusion: A volume effect was found for acute GI toxicity for relative, as well as absolute, volumes. With regard to acute GU toxicity, an area effect was found, but only for absolute dose-surface histogram parameters. Neoadjuvant HT appeared to be an independent prognostic factor for acute toxicity, resulting in less acute GI toxicity, but more acute GU toxicity. The presence of pretreatment GU symptoms was the most important prognostic factor for GU symptoms during RT.