Definitive radiation therapy of carcinoma of the prostate

The charts of 310 consecutive patients with localized prostatic carcinoma treated definitively with small-field external-beam irradiation were reviewed. The 5- and 10-year uncorrected actuarial survival rates for patients with disease limited to the prostate were 72 and 48%, respectively, compared to 48 and 30% in patients with palpable extracapsular extension. Patients for whom the interval between histological diagnosis and initiation of radiotherapy was less than one year had a significantly higher survival rate than those for whom this interval was longer. Severe symptoms which persisted beyond one year after treatment developed in 5%. Sexual potency was maintained in 70% of patients not hormonally manipulated following radiotherapy.