Since a recent meta-analysis of non-steroidal anti-androgen therapy in metastatic prostate cancer concluded that survival was worse compared with medical or surgical androgen withdrawal, we analyzed our experience with flutamide monotherapy and other forms of neoadjuvant hormone therapy (NHT) prior to radiation therapy in clinically localized prostate cancer. A total of 45 patients received flutamide and 328 patients received other NHT. Flutamide patients had higher PSA levels at diagnosis and shorter duration of treatment, which could bias the results against flutamide monotherapy. Kaplan Meier analysis of PSA -- disease free survival showed significantly poorer outcome with flutamide monotherapy. Multivariate analysis supported this conclusion. Until equivalence to other forms of NHT is shown, we do not recommend flutamide monotherapy prior to radical radiation. A prospective randomized trial would be necessary to confirm this conclusion.

OBJECTIVES:To evaluate the effects of neo-adjuvant hormone therapy (NAHT) given prior to radiation in patients with clinically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate. METHODS:Six hundred nine patients were treated between 1992 and 1997 with NAHT prior to radiation therapy. Clinical stage, presenting PSA and Gleason score were examined for influence on outcome. Time to post radiotherapy failure was defined from the first assessed PSA value over 4 microg/L at follow-up. Radiation therapy was confined to the prostate and seminal vesicles. Median follow-up was 2.6 years. RESULTS:PSA disease free survival (PDFS) decreased with increasing cancer risk factors (p <.0.0001). The overall duration of NAHT was significant with patients receiving >8 months having a lower failure rate than those on therapy for <3 months (p <0.0001). The PSA prior to starting radiation correlated with outcome, a PSA <=0.1 microg\L having a better PDFS than those with a PSA >=4 microg\L (P <0.0001). NAHT for >8 months gave improved PDFS in intermediate grade Gleason score 5-7, (n = 256, p <0.0001), high grade Gleason score 8-10 (n = 80, p =0.005), but not in low grade, Gleason score <=4. CONCLUSION:Neo-adjuvant hormone therapy for >8 months offers prolonged PSA disease free survival in patients with less well differentiated tumors, Gleason score >4. Clinical trials are required to confirm this.

Background and purpose: Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) can reduce the incidence of stroke and myocardial infarction by inhibiting platelet-fibrin thrombi in small blood vessels. To determine if ASA could reduce late effects of radiation therapy mediated by damage to small blood vessels, a prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was conducted in women with early breast cancer, receiving radiotherapy to the conserved breast.Materials and methods: Cosmetic outcome and late radiotherapy effects were recorded prospectively for 186 women with TI or T2, pathologically node-negative breast cancer treated with breast conservation and randomized to receive ASA (325 mg daily) or placebo for I year from the start of radiation therapy. Radiation was a tangent pair to the breast alone delivering a modal dose of 44 Gy in 16 daily fractions in 22-25 days.Results: Median follow-up is 6.5 years. The use of ASA has not had any effect on the acute (erythema, edema or discomfort) or late (induration, telangiectasia) effects of radiotherapy (all P>0.10), the patients' or physicians' assessment of the cosmetic outcome (all P>0.25) or rates of breast recurrence (P>0.25).Conclusion: ASA cannot be recommended to improve the outcome of radiotherapy complementing breast conserving surgery.

Original papers Effect of acetylsalicylic acid on radiation and cosmetic results after conservative surgery for early breast cancer: a randomized trial IA Olivotto, C. Kim-Sing, CD Bajdik, CH Trevisan, CM Ludgate, LM Weir, SM Jackson,VE … Late cosmetic results of short fractionation for breast conservation IA Olivotto, LM Weir, C. Kim-Sing, CD Bajdik, CH Trevisan, CM Doll, W.-Y. Lam, VE Basco, SM Jackson (Canada) … Optimizing radiotherapy of the internal mammary chain in breast carcinoma by scintigraphy H. S&u&mans, PI? van Rijk (The Netherlands) … Radical external beam radiotherapy for 333 squamous carcinomas of the oral cavity - evaluation of late morbidity and a watch policy for the clinically negative neck SL Turner, NJ Slevin, NK Gupta, R. Swindell (UK) … Pretreatment oxygenation predicts radiation response in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck M. Nordsmark, M. Overgaard, J …

A simple, quick, accurate method of transferring CT scan images on to radiotherapy planning films is described using a modified overhead projector with variable magnification properties.

Preliminary results of superfractionation in the treatment of glioblastoma led to a randomized trial consisting of 76 patients. All patients received whole brain irradiation followed by a 1000 cGy boost to the primary site. Thirty-four patients received standard daily treatment to 4000 cGy, whereas 42 patients received superfractionated radiation, treating three times a day to a total dose of 4760 cGy. No significant difference was found between the 5-year survival of the superfractionated group and the standard treatment group. Early reactions were greater for superfractionation whereas late effects were less.

Eighty patients have been treated with Pi-mesons (pions) at TRIUMF between 1979-1984. The patients had tumors rarely curable by standard methods and had no prior radiotherapy. The distribution by site included skin, metastatic nodules (13), brain, glioblastoma multiforme (32), pelvis, rectosigmoid (15), prostate (12), bladder (7), and ovary (1). The studies involve serial escalations of pion dose until maximum tissue tolerance is reached, monitoring the response at each dose increment. Sites were chosen for study where lack of local control is a significant cause of treatment failure with conventional radiation therapy. The low dose rate and the available beam access at TRIUMF limit the number of patients treated and the volume treatable. A 3-D treatment planning program is in use, and a 3-D display of the dose distribution delivered in brain tumor treatments has been developed using the PET scanner. In practice, new methods introduced for measurement of tissue response include tumor growth delay curves, fine-needle biopsy mapping, and PET scanning of brain tumors. The use of endoscopic assessment of the rectosigmoid region is emphasized. Treatment results of glioblastoma multiforme show that the median survival for patients treated to 125 pion cGy/fx is in the range of 187-198 days; for patients receiving 170 cGy per dose/fraction (fx) the range is 290-315 days, and for those receiving 200-220 cGy/fx the median survival is in excess of 290 days. For pelvic malignancies the local control obtained with doses of 2500 cGy or less was 50% in 12 assessable patients; it was 75% in 20 patients who had 3000 cGy or more.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A treatment technique employing retrobulbar supervoltage radiotherapy (XRT) in Graves' ophthalmopathy is described. Twenty-eight patients have been treated and followed between 1980-1983. Twenty-six of 28 patients (93%) showed some response, with 19/28 (68%) having a good to excellent response. Four of 28 (14%) had recurrent symptoms post-XRT. Soft tissue signs and symptoms were relieved and disease progression arrested in the majority of patients, but proptosis and ophthalmoplegia responded poorly. High dose corticosteroids have generally been the alternative form of therapy for this disease. Post-XRT, 24/28 (86%) of patients have had no further steroid requirements, and been spared the associated complications. Treatment was well tolerated, with only five patients (18%) demonstrating a transient worsening of symptoms which settled entirely within 2 weeks. No long-term complications have been encountered. Eleven patients had post-XRT CT scans which were compared to pre-treatment scans and clinical response. Nine of 11 patients (82%) had CT changes in general agreement with the observed clinical response, but the degree of involvement seen on the initial CT scan was not predictive of response nor the risk of relapse. XRT with the described technique is felt to be an effective, safe, and practical approach to the disabling and disfiguring complications of severe Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Clinical treatments at TRIUMF started in November, 1979. Ten patients with malignant subcutaneous nodules had 14 lesions treated with pions and 37 other nodules treated with 280 kV X rays. Three different fractionation regimens were used with X ray doses spanning the expected RBE range of pions. The RBE for pions for acute skin reaction for 10 fractions had a mean value about 1.5, while for 3 fractions it was 1.3 maximum. No dissociation of acute and late skin effects was seen with follow-up to 27 months after treatment. Phase 1-2 studies of Pion-Boost Therapy for patients with glioblastoma multiforme will begin in May, 1982. These will be followed in August with treatments of advanced pelvic malignancies using pions only. The existing beam line at TRIUMF will be upgraded and commitments have been given to go to higher beam currents. As a result, the dose rate should increase by a factor of at least two, allowing treatment of clinically relevant volumes in acceptable times by 1983-1984.