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. 2021 Nov;197(11):993-1000.
doi: 10.1007/s00066-021-01820-2. Epub 2021 Aug 31.

Moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy as definitive treatment for localized prostate cancer: Pattern of practice in German-speaking countries : A survey of the Prostate Cancer Expert Panel of the German Society of Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) and the Working Party on Radiation Oncology of the German Cancer Society (DKG-ARO)

Mohamed Shelan  1 , Daniel M Aebersold  1 , Clemens Albrecht  2 , Dirk Böhmer  3 , Michael Flentje  4 , Ute Ganswindt  5 , Stefan Höcht  6 , Tobias Hölscher  7 , Arndt-Christian Müller  8 , Peter Niehoff  9 , Michael Pinkawa  10 , Nina-Sophie Schmidt-Hegemann  11 , Felix Sedlmayer  12 , Frank Wolf  12 , Constantinos Zamboglou  13 , Daniel Zips  8 , Thomas Wiegel  14 , Pirus Ghadjar  15   16
Affiliations

Moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy as definitive treatment for localized prostate cancer: Pattern of practice in German-speaking countries : A survey of the Prostate Cancer Expert Panel of the German Society of Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) and the Working Party on Radiation Oncology of the German Cancer Society (DKG-ARO)

Mohamed Shelan et al. Strahlenther Onkol. 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Purpose: Various randomized phase III clinical trials have compared moderately hypofractionated to normofractionated radiotherapy (RT). These modalities showed similar effectiveness without major differences in toxicity. This project was conducted by the Prostate Cancer Expert Panel of the German Society of Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) and the Working Party on Radiation Oncology of the German Cancer Society. We aimed to investigate expert opinions on the use of moderately hypofractionated RT as a definitive treatment for localized prostate cancer in German-speaking countries.

Methods: A 25-item, web-based questionnaire on moderate-hypofractionation RT was prepared by an internal committee. The experts of the DEGRO were asked to complete the questionnaire.

Results: Fourteen active members of DEGRO completed the questionnaire. The questions described indications for selecting patients eligible to receive moderate hypofractionation based on clinical and pathological factors such as age, urinary symptoms, and risk-group. The questions also collected information on the technical aspects of selection criteria, including the definition of a clinical target volume, the use of imaging, protocols for bladder and rectal filling, the choice of a fractionation schedule, and the use of image guidance. Moreover, the questionnaire collected information on post-treatment surveillance after applying moderately hypofractionated RT.

Conclusion: Although opinions varied on the use of moderate-hypofractionation RT, the current survey reflected broad agreement on the notion that moderately hypofractionated RT could be considered a standard treatment for localized prostate cancer in German-speaking countries.

Keywords: Guidelines; Hypofractionation; Prostate cancer; Radiotherapy; Survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

M. Shelan, D.M. Aebersold, C. Albrecht, D. Böhmer, M. Flentje, U. Ganswindt, S. Höcht, T. Hölscher, A.-C. Müller, P. Niehoff, M. Pinkawa, N.-S. Schmidt-Hegemann, F. Sedlmayer, F. Wolf, C. Zamboglou, D. Zips, T. Wiegel, and P. Ghadjar declare that they have no competing interests.

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