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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Adding radiation therapy to treat advanced prostate cancer may be a good thing.
Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio looked at 425 older prostate cancer patients who had their prostate gland removed but still had suspicious cells outside the area. Half got radiation therapy; half did not.
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The study reveals radiation after the prostate gland is removed reduces the risk of the disease coming back, but it does not seem to significantly improve how long the patient lives overall or how long he lives without his cancer spreading.
About one-third of the 230,000 new prostate cancer cases diagnosed each year in the United States are treated with radical prostatectomy, or removal of the prostate gland. The authors report the results will help doctors and patients weigh the options for using radiation therapy in those cases.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2006;296:2329-2335
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