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HRQOL in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With Radiotherapy

Recruiting
Conditions
Prostate Cancer
Interventions
Radiation: radiotherapy
Registration Number
NCT05645237
Lead Sponsor
Erasmus Medical Center
Brief Summary

The study primarily aims at evaluating health-related quality of life after radiotherapy for prostate cancer, using modern hypofractionated radiotherapy schedules. Study design is a prospective observational cohort study. All patients give written informed consent and fill out online validated questionnaires before, during, and after radiotherapy (yearly) up to 5 years post-treatment.

Detailed Description

Rationale: Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs), such as health-related quality of life (HRQL), have achieved an important role in the evaluation of benefits and harms after cancer treatment, including radiotherapy for prostate cancer (PCa). In the past year, clinical radiotherapy protocols at the Erasmus MC have been changed for external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) as well as for brachytherapy (BT). In order to evaluate the current, changed, clinical practice, we will conduct a prospective cohort study, with the main purpose to assess HRQL for the current treatment options at the Erasmus MC.

Objective: To establish HRQL (start treatment - 5 years after treatment) in a prospective cohort of ≈600 patients with localized PCa treated with radiotherapy within in the period ≈ 1/3/2019 - 1/12/2023.

Main objective: to establish changes in HRQL levels (with respect to baseline) up to 5 year post-treatment, within each radiotherapy modality for prostate cancer patients, i.e. EBRT 60 Gy in 20 fractions, EBRT 42.7 Gy in 7 fractions, CyberKnife (stereotactic EBRT) 38 Gy in 4 fractions, BT 27 Gy in 2 fractions, postoperative EBRT (PORT) 72 Gy in 36 fractions, EBRT for LN+: 70 Gy (prostate)/52 Gy (lymph nodes) in 28 fractions.

Study design: Prospective observational cohort study. Study population: Patients with prostate cancer T1c-T4 referred for radiotherapy at the Erasmus MC as a primary treatment with curative intent or as first line adjuvant treatment after a prostatectomy.

Intervention: All interventions are according to applicable standard clinical procedures \& protocols for localized prostate cancer of the Radiotherapy department.

Main study parameters/endpoints: HRQL scores of the EPIC (urinary domain, bowel domain), and the IIEF-5 (sexual function) score.

Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: There are no additional risks or benefits for patients that participate in the study. The additional burden is to fill out questionnaires at regular intervals.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
Male
Target Recruitment
600
Inclusion Criteria
  • Clinically T1c-T4, N0 (or N+ in case of EBRT-LN+), M0 prostate cancer patient referred for radiotherapy.
  • Willing and capable to fill out Dutch questionnaires on health-related items at a computer (online questionnaires).
  • Signed written Informed Consent.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Previously radiation treatment in the pelvic region, for any reason.
  • Diagnosed with other tumor in the past 12 months or known with tumor progression of another tumor.
  • Postoperative radiotherapy with dose levels < 72 Gy.

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Applied radiotherapy protocol (subcohort) 5radiotherapy72 Gy in 36 fractions of 2 Gy postoperative external beam radiotherapy
Applied radiotherapy protocol (subcohort) 2radiotherapy42.7 Gy in 7 fractions of 6.1 Gy external beam radiotherapy
Applied radiotherapy protocol (subcohort) 6radiotherapy70 Gy in 35 fractions of 2 Gy on prostate combined with 52 Gy in 28 fractions of 2 Gy on pelvic lymph node areas, external beam radiotherapy.
Applied radiotherapy protocol (subcohort) 1radiotherapy60 Gy in 20 fractions of 3 Gy external beam radiotherapy
Applied radiotherapy protocol (subcohort) 4radiotherapy27 Gy in 2 fractions of 13.5 Gy brachytherapy
Applied radiotherapy protocol (subcohort) 3radiotherapy38 Gy in 4 fractions of 9 Gy stereotactic external beam radiotherapy
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
EPIC questionnaire score on bowel domainYear 1 - Year 4

Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) Bowel Domain score: a 0 to 100 scale with higher scores representing better HRQOL.

Sexual functioning score on IIEF-5 questionnaireYear 1- Year 4

Sexual functioning score on International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire: 1 to 25 scale, higher scores imply better function

EPIC questionnaire score on urinary domainYear 1 - Year 4

Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) Urinary Domain score: a 0 to 100 scale with higher scores representing better HRQOL.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Late erectile dysfunctionYear 1- Year 4

Score of 'very low/low confidence to get and keep an erection' on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire.

Acute rectal bleeding, on symptom checklist (patient-reported)During radiotherapy - 3 months after radiotherapy

Rectal bleeding is scored on a symptom checklist on a Likert scale (bother: none, little, quite, a lot) (patient-reported), higher score means worse symptoms. This symptom checklist was locally developed and used in previous trials.

Late moderate to severe urinary frequency during the nightYear 1 - Year 4

Score of 'moderate/big problem for waking up to urinate' on the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) Urinary Domain.

Late moderate to severe incontinence for stoolsYear 1 - Year 4

Score of 'more than once a week or daily uncontrolled leakage of stools/feces' on the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) Bowel Domain.

Late frequent bowel movementsYear 1 - Year 4

Score of 'more than five' daily bowel movements on the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) Bowel Domain.

Acute mucous discharge, on symptom checklist (patient-reported)During radiotherapy - 3 months after radiotherapy

Mucous discharge is scored on a symptom checklist on a Likert scale (bother: none, little, quite, a lot) (patient-reported), higher score means worse symptoms. This symptom checklist was locally developed and used in previous trials.

Late moderate to severe urinary incontinenceYear 1 - Year 4

Score of 'more than once a week or daily leaking of urine' on the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) Urinary Domain.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Radiotherapy, Erasmus MC Cancer Center

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Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

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