Limited efficacy of salvage radiotherapy for biopsy confirmed or clinically palpable local recurrence of prostate carcinoma after surgery.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of salvage radiotherapy (RT) for biopsy confirmed or clinically palpable local recurrence of prostate adenocarcinoma after radical prostatectomy (RP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 44 patients treated with salvage RT for biopsy confirmed or clinically palpable local recurrence between 1991 and 2000. Thirty-six had positive biopsy for local recurrence and the rest without histological confirmation had clinically palpable disease. All had rising PSA at the time of RT (median: 3.7). Median interval from RP to RT was 2.6 years. Thirty-six received salvage RT alone, while eight had a short course (<4 months) of androgen ablation prior to RT. RT doses were 60-66Gy in 30-33 fractions. Freedom from PSA failure was defined as the maintenance of PSA