Background:
Sometimes prostate cancer comes back after a person's prostate is removed. In this case, radiation is a common treatment. Radiation kills prostate cancer cells. It can be very effective. It is usually given in short doses almost every day for 6 or 7 weeks. Researchers want to see if a shorter schedule can be as effective. They want to see if that causes the same or fewer side effects. Usually, radiation is used to treat the entire area where the prostate was before surgery. In some patients, an area of tumor can be seen on scans. Researchers are also trying to see if they can give less dose to the area usually treated with radiation if the full dose is given to the tumor seen on scans.
Objective:
To find the shortest radiation schedule that people can tolerate without strong side effects.
Eligibility:
People at least 18 years old who have had a prostatectomy and will get radiation.
Design:
Participants will be screened with:
* Medical history
* Physical exam
* Blood and urine tests
* Scan that uses a small amount of radiation to make a picture of the body
* Scan that uses a magnetic field to make an image of the body
* Participants will provide documents that confirm their diagnosis.
* Participants may have a scan of the abdomen and pelvis.
Before they start treatment, participants will have another physical exam and blood tests.
Participants will get radiation each day Monday through Friday. Treatment may last 2, 3, or 4 weeks.
Participants may provide a tissue sample from a previous procedure for research.
Participants will answer questions about their general well-being and function.
About 4-5 weeks after they finish radiation treatment, participants will have a follow-up visit. They will be examined and give a blood sample. They will have 6 follow-up visits for the next 2 years.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years
Sex
MALE
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
* INCLUSION CRITERIA:
* Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate.
* Indications for post-prostatectomy radiation exist:
* Disease progression (detectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) on two measurements obtained at least one month apart) or
* indications for adjuvant radiation exist (if undetectable PSA): pathologic T3, T4, N+ disease or positive margins (within 1 year of prostatectomy).
* Age greater than or equal to 18 years.
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status less than or equal to 1 (Karnofsky greater than or equal to 60)
* Ability of subject to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
* Radiation is teratogenic; thus, men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation and up to 120 days after the last radiation. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.
* Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients are included if CD4+ (cytotoxic T cells) T-cell count \> 200 cells/uL; on stable antiretroviral therapy for \> 1 year with HIV viral load \<200 copies/mL, and no history of opportunistic infections in \> 1 year.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
* Patients who are receiving any other investigational agents concurrently.
* Documente…
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) of Radiation Dose to Prostate Bed and Dose to Tumor Reported in Gray (Gy)
Timeframe: 3 weeks after radiation
2
Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) of Radiation Dose to Prostate Bed and Dose to Tumor Reported in Fractions