Radiation Therapy With or Without Bicalutamide for Recurrent pT3N0 Prostate Cancer After Radical Prostatectomy

Overall survival rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, with failure defined as death by any cause. Four-year follow-up was required of all patients, twelve-year rates are reported. Four-year follow-up was required of all patients, but twelve-year rates were reported.

Patients are followed until death.

Non-prostate cancer death rates were estimated by the cumulative incidence method, with failure defined as any death that does not fall into the following categories: death due to prostate cancer or complications of protocol treatment (centrally reviewed), death with known progressive metastatic disease while on salvage hormone therapy, or death with a known rising PSA while on salvage hormone therapy. All other deaths are considered competing risks. Patients alive at time of analysis were censored. Any other death was treated as a competing risk. Four-year follow-up was required of all patients, but twelve-year rates were reported.

Patients are followed until death. "Non-Prostate cancer death" is a more accurate wording for the protocol endpoint of "non-disease-specific survival", and matches the protocol definition.

Second PSA recurrence (SPSAR) rates (i.e. first PSA failure on study) were estimated by the cumulative incidence method, with failure defined as the first occurrence of one of the following events: 1. Increase in PSA following protocol treatment according to the following criteria met during protocol treatment: If PSA dropped to undetectable level (<0.2 ng/ml) during protocol treatment (PT) then failure = increase after PT to >= 0.5 ng/ml ; If PSA decreased to a detectable level (≥ 0.2 ng/ml) during PT, then failure = increase PT of >= 0.3 ng/ml above the lowest detectable level; If PSA did not decrease during PT then failure = increase in PSA after PT of >= 0.5 ng/ml above entry PSA level. 2. The start of salvage hormone therapy. Patients alive without SPSAR at time of analysis were censored. Death without SPSAR was treated as a competing risk. Four-year follow-up was required of all patients, but twelve-year rates were reported. Patients are followed until death.

Third PSA recurrence rates (i.e. second PSA failure on study) were estimated by the cumulative incidence method, with failure defined as PSA value of 0.5ng/ml or higher or any disease progression after starting salvage hormone therapy. Patients alive without third PSA recurrence at time of analysis were censored. Death without third PSA recurrence was treated as a competing risk. Four-year follow-up was required of all patients, but twelve-year rates were reported. Patients are followed until death.

Complete response is defined as a drop in PSA on protocol treatment to less than 0.2 ng/ml. Note that when the study opened many institutions could not detect PSA < 05 ng/ml.

Distant failure rates were estimated by the cumulative incidence method, with failure defined as the first occurrence of distant failure. Patients alive without distant metastases at time of analysis were censored. Death without distant metastasis was treated as a competing risk. Four-year follow-up was required of all patients, but twelve-year rates were reported. Patients are followed until death.

Prostate cancer death rates were estimated by the cumulative incidence method, with failure defined as death due to prostate cancer or complications of protocol treatment (centrally reviewed), death with known progressive metastatic disease while on salvage hormone therapy, or death with a known rising PSA while on salvage hormone therapy. Patients alive at time of analysis were censored. Any other death was treated as a competing risk. Four-year follow-up was required of all patients, but twelve-year rates were reported. Patients are followed until death. "Prostate cancer death" is a more accurate wording for the protocol endpoint of "disease-specific survival", and matches the protocol definition.

Progress-free survival rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, with failure defined as the first occurrence of PSA failure, local, regional or distant failure, or death from any cause. Patients alive without progression at time of analysis were censored. Four-year follow-up was required of all patients, but twelve-year rates were reported. Patients are followed until death. "Progression-free Survival" is more accurate wording for the protocol endpoint of "Freedom from Progression", and matches the protocol definition.

Adverse events are graded using the Cooperative Group Common Toxicity Criteria and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) Radiation Morbidity Scoring. Grade refers to severity, assigning Grades 1 through 5 based on this general guideline: Grade 0 None, Grade 1 Mild, Grade 2 Moderate, Grade 3 Severe, Grade 4 Life-threatening or disabling, Grade 5 Death related toxicity. Toxicities reported to have occurred within 90 days from the start of radiotherapy are reported as "Acute Radiotherapy", all later toxicities are reported as "Hormone therapy and late radiotherapy toxicity". The highest grade toxicity event per subject is counted within each of these time periods. Four-year follow-up was required of all patients; patients are followed until death.