Acute toxicity rates similar for SBRT, conventional XRT

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) shows rates of acute toxicity that are similar to those of conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in men with low- or intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer, according to early findings from an international randomized study.

The PACE trial randomized 845 patients to SBRT or conventionally fractionated or moderately hypofractionated external beam radiotherapy. Grade 2 or higher genitourinary toxicity was 27% in the conventionally fractionated arm versus 22% in the SBRT arm. Gastrointestinal toxicity rates were 11% and 10%, respectively.

The data show “very acceptable rates of acute toxicity-lower than we expected-and importantly, no statistical difference between the SBRT arm and the conventionally fractionated arm,” first author Nicholas van As, MD, reported at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in San Francisco.

In this Urology Times video, Dr. van As, of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, discusses the PACE patient population and forthcoming data on efficacy and late toxicity.

Dr. van As receives honoraria and research funding from Accuray and is a consultant/adviser to Accuray and Sanofi. He receives travel accommodations/expenses from MSD Oncology. Study co-authors receive honoraria and/or research funding from pharmaceutical and medical device companies. For full disclosure information, see bit.ly/PACEdisclosure.