ASTRO In Brief

Proton therapy for prostate cancer: Three prospective studies show that radiation with proton beam therapy in prostate cancer patients causes minimal urinary and rectal side effects, according to a Nov. 2 presentation by Nancy Mendenhall, M.D., University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute, at the American Society for Radiation Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. Investigators examined genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity scores in 212 proton therapy patients one year post-treatment. Results showed that less than 1% of patients had severe Grade 3 genitourinary side effects and less than one-half percent experienced Grade 3 GI toxicities. In a separate presentation, Carl J. Rossi, M.D., et al., Loma Linda University Medical Center, showed data from a randomized trial concluding men who receive a "boost" of proton therapy after receiving standard X-ray radiation therapy have fewer recurrences of prostate cancer