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Funded Research 2003
Outcome of radical radiotherapy for clinically localised prostate cancer: The prognosic role of intrinsic markers of tumour hypoxia and angiogenesis
Dr Christopher Parker, The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden, Surrey, England
Dr Chris Parker
Increasing the dose improves the efficacy of prostate radiotherapy, but also increases the risk of side effects. We need to find ways to identify which patients are likely to benefit from higher doses. Those for whom conventional dose radiotherapy would be adequate could then be spared the increased toxicity of more intensive treatment. Tumour oxygen levels can influence the effectiveness of radiotherapy, and might also determine who will benefit from higher doses. Until recently, measurement of tumour oxygen levels required needles to be inserted in to the tumour prior to treatment, which, particularly in the case of prostate cancer, is difficult. It has now become possible to measure tumour oxygen levels from stored biopsy samples.
Between 1995 and 2001, 300 men receiving radiotherapy for prostate cancer at the Royal Marsden were randomly allocated to receive one of two different doses (either 64 Gy or 74 Gy). In all cases, the diagnostic prostate biopsies were requested for histology review, and patient consent is being sought to study these stored biopsies. We will measure the levels of a range of markers of tumour oxygen level, and analyse the results in relation to the treatment outcome. We will seek to determine whether tumour oxygen levels influence the benefit of radiotherapy dose-escalation. The results could help us to individualise the treatment of prostate cancer, targeting more intensive treatment only to those men who need it.
Read the project report published in The Lancet, Spring 2008
Project commenced
March 2003
Length of project
3 months
Amount Supported
£9,117
