Dr. Ward on the Benefits of Delaying Salvage Therapy in Prostate Cancer

Matthew C. Ward, MD, radiation oncologist, Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health, discusses the benefits of delaying salvage therapy in prostate cancer.

Based on previous data, it is understood that approximately 50% of men with prostate cancer who meet T3 or positive-margin criteria will develop a biochemical recurrence, Ward says. However, if factors such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels of at least 10 are taken into consideration, the percentage of patients who develop a biochemical recurrence is estimated to be around 20% to 25%, Ward explains. 

Studies have shown that patients treated early with salvage radiation do not derive significant benefit to adjuvant therapy; however, delaying salvage therapy until a patient has a higher PSA or prolonged period of time after recurrence can result in clinically meaningful differences in outcome between adjuvant or salvage radiation, Ward concludes.