The Australian-led TRANSFORM trial has found that stereotactic radiation therapy for metastatic prostate cancer can delay more toxic forms of treatment for more than five years for many patients.
Standard treatment options for men living with metastatic (cancer that has spread from where it started to another part of the body) prostate cancer include hormone therapy and chemotherapy, which often have significant negative side effects that impact a patient’s quality of life.
Stereotactic radiation therapy is an advanced technique for treating small, well-defined tumours. The technology allows a high dose of radiation to be delivered precisely to the tumour, without compromising surrounding healthy organs due to the ability to treat with sub-millimeter accuracy.
Icon Cancer Centre Radiation Oncologist and Principal Investigator of the TRANSFORM trial, Dr Patrick Bowden says no significant side effects are associated with stereotactic radiation therapy.
“By using stereotactic radiation therapy, treatment escalation to hormone therapy and chemotherapy could be delayed by two years in just over half of the participants and five years for one in four men who had not yet started hormone therapy,” said Dr Bowden.
“This is in comparison to the standard of care, where all men would usually be recommended immediate hormone therapy.
“Icon is proud to invest in research in our cancer centers that contribute to advancements in cancer care for our patients,” added Dr Bowden.
Melbourne man, Ian Rose was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December 2012 and joined the TRANSFORM trial in January 2016.
“After I retired in 2009, I decided it would be wise to have an annual medical checkup,” said Ian.
“I had no symptoms before my diagnosis and according to Dr Google, my prostate-specific antigen (PSA) reading at the time of diagnosis, which from memory was 4.0, was within the bounds of normal for a person of my age.
“I had a radical prostatectomy in February 2013. I was advised that there were clear margins around the prostate, however, once my PSA levels started to rise seven months following surgery, it was the opinion of my urologist that the cancer had spread through my seminal vesicles.
“My PSA continued to rise, and I was sent for a seven-week course of radiation therapy in early 2015 directed to the area of the prostate in the hope of killing off any residual cancer cells. But that was not successful.
“It was around October of 2015 when my PSA had risen to 0.40 that I was told about the possibility of joining the TRANSFORM trial.
“I was sent for scans, which found three spots on my rib, hip, and spine. I was subsequently accepted onto the TRANSFORM trial in January 2016.
“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that as a result of the treatment I have been fortunate to receive on the TRANSFORM trial, my life has been extended far beyond what I could have expected.
“Not only has my life been extended through the TRANSFORM trial, but my quality of life has been excellent, which in turn has enabled me to continue to act as primary carer for my wife, who has ongoing mobility and health issues,” adds Ian.
The results of the TRANSFORM trial were recently published in the International Journal of Cancer: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.35052.
The TRANSFORM trial is supported by the Icon Cancer Foundation (ICF). ICF is a not-for-profit charity that raises funds to support Icon Cancer Centre’s network of doctors and healthcare professionals to do vital independent research.
