Outcomes from Gleason 7, intermediate risk, localized prostate cancer treated with Iodine-125 monotherapy over 10 years

Background and purposeThe effect of predominating Gleason grade (3 + 4 versus 4 + 3) in Gleason sum score (GS) 7 prostate cancer (PCa) on brachytherapy outcomes is unclear. The 10 year experience of permanent brachytherapy monotherapy at a single UK centre for GS 7, intermediate risk (Memorial Sloan-Kettering model), PSA ⩽ 10 ng/ml, localised PCa is reported.Materials and methodsBetween 1995 and 2004, the outcomes of 187 patients with GS 7 PCa (PSA ⩽ 10 ng/ml) were analysed from a cohort of 1298 men treated with permanent Iodine-125 prostate brachytherapy, including PSA relapse-free survival (PSA-RFS).ResultsMedian follow-up was 5.0 years (range 2.0–10.1 years). One patient has died of PCa. At 10 years, PSA-RFS was 82.4%/78% (ASTRO consensus and nadir +2 definitions). For GS 3 + 4, 5 year PSA-RFS was 86.7%/87.9% and for GS 4 + 3: 85.2%/96.6% respectively, with no significant difference between groups. Five year PSA-RFS (ASTRO) of 92.6% was seen for D90 ⩾ 140 Gy (50% total), compared with 77.0% below 140 Gy (p = 0.08).ConclusionsIodine-125 brachytherapy monotherapy achieved good rates of medium term biochemical control in GS 7, intermediate risk localised PCa patients. There was a trend to improved outcomes in men with a D90 in excess of 140 Gy.