Prostate carcinoma: Radiation treatment of the primary and regional lymphatics

We reviewed the records of 68 consecutive patients with localized or locally advanced prostate carcinoma treated with definitive radiation from 1959 through 1970. In patients followed over 5 years, the lymphatics within the true pelvis received at least 5000 rads in 5 to 6 1/2 weeks, and the primary received 6000 to 7500 rads in 7 to 11 weeks. There were 64% 5-year and 38% 10-year actuarial survivals, and clinical local control in 91% of the 5- to 12-year survivors (21/23). Additionally, negative prostate biopsies were obtained in 76% of the patients sampled more than 1-year after treatment (16/21). This report offers further evidence that carcinoma of the prostate, even if inoperable, is curable with radiation, but we could not demonstrate an improvement in 5-year survival, 10-year survival, or disease-free rate with pelvic nodal treatment.