The standard treatment of Prostate cancer advanced or metastatic is hormone therapy. But a new study led by Dr Chris Parker of the Royal Marsden Hospital in Britain suggests that the use of radiotherapy, in addition to medical treatment, may improve survival in some patients with advanced prostate cancer.
For this study, the doctor followed about 2,000 men with advanced cancer. Half of them received standard treatment and the other half received radiation therapy in addition to standard treatment. It did not benefit all patients, but it did make a real difference in patients whose cancer had spread only locally, to nearby lymph nodes or bones.
Of these men, 81% survived for three years after diagnosis, compared with 73% who had not received radiation therapy. “Radiation therapy is simple, relatively inexpensive and readily available in most parts of the world,” insisted Dr. Parker, who believes the results of his study should change the standards of care around the world.
These results have just been published in The Lancet.
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