Results of the EORTC 22961 trial
25 Jun 2009
The EORTC Radiation Oncology and Genito-Urinary Tract Cancer Groups reported results of the EORTC 22961 trial on long term or short term androgen suppression combined with irradiation in locally advanced prostate cancer in a paper by Bolla et al. in the 11 June 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. It is known that combined use of external beam radiotherapy and androgen suppression therapy lasting three years or longer improves overall survival in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer. Still, such long-term androgen suppression therapy can lead to a reduced quality of life for these patients coupled with increased risks of fractures, metabolic syndrome, and possibly myocardial infarction. The question then is if these risks might be lowered and the survival benefit maintained by using a shorter term androgen suppression therapy of only six months duration. In this EORTC study it was found that radiotherapy in combination with short-term (six months) androgen suppression therapy does not maintain the survival benefit achieved with long-term (three years) androgen suppression therapy.
M. Bolla, T. De Reijke, G. Van Tienhoven, A. Van den Bergh, J. Oddens, P. Poortmans, E. Gez, P. Kil, A. Akdas, G. Soete, O. Kariakine, E. van der Steen-Banasik, E. Musat, M. Piérart, M. Mauer, L. Collette, for the EORTC Radiation Oncology Group and Genitor-Urinary Tract Cancer Group. Long term or short term androgen suppression combined with irradiation in locally advanced prostate cancer. N Engl J Med, 360 (24): 2009.
John Bean
Related News
EORTC: Advancing research and treatment for rare cancers
29 Feb 2024
EORTC Fellowship Programme: celebrating more than 20 years of impactful collaboration
22 Feb 2024
Appointment of Malte Peters as EORTC Strategic Alliance Officer
9 Feb 2024
Unique series of workshops in partnership with the European Medicines Agency (EMA)
7 Feb 2024
EORTC launches a prominent clinical trial in older patients with locally advanced (LA) HNSCC (Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma)
14 Dec 2023
Seven IMMUcan abstracts selected for ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress 2023
6 Dec 2023
EORTC Quality of Life measures integrated in CDISC
20 Nov 2023
EORTC and Immunocore are collaborating to launch the ATOM clinical trial of tebentafusp in Adjuvant Uveal Melanoma
7 Nov 2023
Treatment with decitabine resulted in a similar survival and fewer adverse events compared with conventional chemotherapy in older fit patients with acute myeloid leukaemia
31 Oct 2023
New results and forthcoming EORTC trials in rare cancers, lung, head and neck, and breast carcinomas presented at ESMO 2023
20 Oct 2023