Backround: Interventional radiologists receive significant radiation doses, and it is important to have simple methods for routine monitoring of their exposure. Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of a dosimeter worn outside the protective apron for assessments of dose to interventional radiologists. Material and Methods: Assessments of effective dose versus dose to dosimeters worn outside the protective apron were achieved by phantom measurements. Doses outside and under the apron were assessed by phantom measurements and measurements on eight radiologists wearing two routine dosimeters for a 2-month period during ordinary working conditions. Finger doses for the same radiologists were recorded using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD; DXT-RAD Extremity dosimeters). Results: Typical values for the ratio between effective dose and dosimeter dose were found to be about 0.02 when the radiologist used a thyroid shield and about 0.03 without. The ratio between the dose to the dosimeter under and outside a protective apron was found to be less than 0.04. There was very good correlation between finger dose and dosimeter dose. Conclusion: A personal dosimeter worn outside a protective apron is a good screening device for dose to the eyes and fingers as well as for effective dose, even though the effective dose is grossly overestimated. Relatively high dose to the fingers and eyes remains undetected by a dosimeter worn under the apron.

The aim of this study was to describe perception of health, quality of life (QoL), disease status, and specific symptoms in members of Swedish prostate cancer (PC) support organizations. All 2,235 registered members of ten PC support organizations were asked to participate in the study. At enrollment, participants completed an informed consent form and a specially constructed questionnaire recording self-reported information on disease status at diagnosis, as well as their own perception of health. After completion of the questionnaire, a symptom-specific questionnaire, the Prostate Cancer Symptom Scale (PCSS), was sent to all participants together with a QoL formula (EORTC QLQ-C30). No record data was collected for the participants. The response rate was 58% (n = 1,301). Median age was 70.0 years and median time since diagnosis was 3.0 years. Actual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels (ng/ml) were <10 = 84%, 11 to 20 = 8%, 21 to 50 = 4%, and >50 = 5%. The most common treatment was radical prostectomy (n = 279). Other treatment modalities included external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) (n = 55), brachytherapy (n = 11), hormones only (n = 357), and watchful waiting (n = 98). Almost 50% of the patients had received hormone treatment. Mean actual PSA was 5.9 ng/ml in those who had a perception of being “PC disease-free” in comparison with PSA = 10.7 ng/ml, PSA = 64.6 ng/ml, and PSA = 219.8 ng/ml in patients whose perception was “disease under control”, “uncontrolled disease”, and “metastatic disease”, respectively. Patients with localized PC disease at diagnosis experienced “uncontrolled disease” at a lower PSA level during follow-up than patients with primary metastatic disease. Role functioning, fatigue, and pain were also influenced by the patients’ perception of the disease and the PSA level. At follow-up, patients with localized PC disease at diagnosis experienced their disease to be “uncontrolled” at a lower PSA level than patients with primary metastatic disease. Prostate-specific antigen levels at follow-up had an impact on the patients’ perception of disease control and QoL

We previously reported on patient-evaluated external beam radiotherapy (EBRT)-induced late side effects in 181 patients with localized prostatic cancer and compared the patients with 141 age-matched controls without prostate cancer using the Prostate Cancer Symptom Scale (PCSS) patient questionnaire. We have now compared quality of life (QoL) including late side effects, and cancer symptoms in EBRT patients 4, 8, and 15 years after therapy, with QoL and symptoms in age-matched controls at 4, 8, and 15 years' follow-up. Of the 181 patients, 136 (75%) compared with 62 (44%) of the controls had died by the time of the follow-up. The symptom-specific PCSS questionnaire and a QoL formula (EORTC QLQ-C30) were used to assess symptoms. The questionnaires were sent to the 45 surviving EBRT patients, with a mean follow-up time of 15 years (162.1–196.9 months) after radiotherapy, as well as to the 79 surviving, age-matched controls. The response frequency was 64% and 52% in the patient and control group, respectively; the mean age was 78 years in both groups. Neither the patients nor the controls reported any changes regarding bladder symptoms between the 4-year and the 15-year follow-up. Forty-six per cent of the patients and 55% of the controls reported no urinary problems at the 15-year follow-up (p = 0.177). However, 22% of the patients (vs. 3% of the controls) reported "quite a bit of/much" incontinence 15 years after treatment (P = 0.001). Thirty-nine per cent of the patients and 84% of the controls reported no bowel problems at the 15-year follow-up (p < 0.001). Sixteen per cent of the patients in comparison with 0% of the controls (p < 0.001) reported "quite a few/many" problems with mucus in the stools at 15 years. Twenty per cent of the patients reported "quite a bit of/much" stool leakage at 15 years in comparison with 4% at the 4-year follow-up (not significant). The proportion of patients reporting late bladder and bowel symptoms was the same at 15-years' as at 4-years' follow-up. Increased bowel symptoms and some bladder symptoms were seen in comparison to the age-matched controls

OBJECTIVE:To describe and evaluate treatment alternatives for patients with clinical T3 prostate cancer.MATERIAL AND METHODS:Literature review with main focus on recent studies in order to include the impact of prostate specific antigen (PSA). The possibility of using neoadjuvant/adjuvant hormonal therapy in combination with surgery or radiation was assessed. Results were related to life expectancy, tumour grade and serum PSA.RESULTS:M and N-staging is mandatory before treatment with curative intent. Watchful waiting is an option for selected patients but early hormonal therapy seems to offer some survival advantages. Standard 65-70Gy external beam radiation is not sufficient for these patients with extracapsular disease but better results are obtained with dose-escalation (beyond 70Gy) and/or adjuvant hormonal therapy. Radical prostatectomy may be an option for patients with long life expectancy and "early" tumours, neoadjuvant hormonal withdrawal is of no proven value.CONCLUSIONS:Patients with a long life expectancy should not be denied treatment with curative intent solely based on the finding of extracapsular disease.

The anti-tumour effect of the 131I-labelled antiprostate monoclonal antibody (MAb) E4 was studied in an experimental model with 41 nude mice, subcutaneously xenografted with a human prostate cancer cell line (DU-145). The mice were divided into four study groups, i.e. one receiving single and another repeated injections of the radiolabelled MAb. A third group was injected with non-labelled MAb, and the fourth served as an untreated control group. The tumour volumes increased similarly in all groups during the 27-day observation period. The tumour tissue was morphologically disintegrated in the group that received repeated radioimmunotherapy (RIT). The tumours from this group contained large fluid-filled cystic parts and demonstrated pronounced cellular and subcellular polymorphism in the remaining viable tumour tissue. The untreated control tumours and single therapy tumours remained solid. The proportion of the total tumour volume that consisted of viable tumour cells, as determined by morphometric techniques, was significantly lower in the 131I-E4-treated groups. The use of 131I-labelled E4 MAb has thus demonstrated a promising therapeutic potential.

Testicular vascular resistance (TVR) was estimated 1, 2, 4 and 8 h after unilateral intratesticular injection of 1 or 10 ng of an LRH-agonist (A). The lower dose had no effect on plasma levels of testosterone or LH, but there was a significant increase in TVR 2 h after injection when compared to the vehicle-injected contralateral testis. Injection of 10 ng LRH-A induced an increase in plasma levels of LH at 1 and 2 h after treatment and in the plasma levels of testosterone at 1, 2 and 4 h. In the same rats there was a decrease in TVR at 2, 4 and 8 h after LRH-A treatment compared to the contralateral testis. It is concluded that LRH-A can have both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on TVR in the rat and that the direction of this effect may be related to the ambient level of LH.