The specificity and sensitivity of the ASTRO definition to predict clinical failure was 60 percent and 72 percent, respectively. Again, using three alternate definitions of clinical failure, the researchers demonstrated specificity and sensitivity results of 67 and 78 percent, 66 and 77 percent, and 64 and 74 percent.

"These alternate definitions potentially offer more accuracy in predicting who will remain free of cancer after treatment and who will truly develop metastatic disease based on a patient's post-treatment PSA levels," Horwitz said. "What's more, these results add to the current discussion in the radiation oncology community and to the body of evidence suggesting modifications to the standard ASTRO definition to predict treatment failure."

Other authors of the study include Howard D. Thames, Ph.D., department of biomathematics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston; Deborah A. Kuban M.D., division of radiation oncology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; Larry B. Levy, M.S., department of biomathematics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; Patrick A. Kupelian, M.D., department of radiation oncology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio; Alvaro A. Martinez, M.D., William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich.; Jeffrey M. Michalski, M.D., department of radiation oncology, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, Mo.; Thomas M. Pisansky M.D., division of radiation oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minn.; Howard M. Sandler, M.D., department of radiation oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; William U. Shipley, M.D., department of radiation oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Michael J. Zelefsky, M.D., department of radiation oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City; Gerald E. Hanks, M.D., retired from the department of radiation oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pa.; and Anthony L. Zietman, M.D., department of radiation
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Contact: Karen Carter Mallet
k_carter@fccc.edu
215-728-2700
Fox Chase Cancer Center
20-Oct-2003

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