Associations Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (Snps) In Inflammation-Related Genes And Quality Of Life After Radiation Therapy (Rt) For Prostate Cancer

2 Background: Prostate-directed RT results in local inflammation that may contribute to short-term toxicity and subsequently effects on long-term quality of life (QOL). We sought to explore the hypothesis that SNPs in inflammation-related genes may influence QOL sequelae following definitive prostate cancer RT.We studied Caucasian participants in the prospective US Physicians' Health Study diagnosed and treated with RT for non-metastatic prostate cancer between 1982 and 2006. Forty-three SNPs in 10 inflammation-related genes were genotyped and analyzed using the additive model. Men were followed for cancer-specific QOL outcomes with regularly administered questionnaires. We dichotomized the maximum score for four parameters (decreased urinary stream, increased urinary frequency, rectal urgency and impotence) relevant to RT reported at least one year following RT and analyzed associations between scores and SNPs using Fisher's exact tests and logistic regression.We identified 264 men with QOL data who previously provided blood for genotype analysis and received RT at a median age of 72 years (IQR 68 - 76 years). Features at diagnosis included: 67% PSA<10, 61% Gleason<7, 95% T1/T2 disease and 71% Charlson co-morbidity index 0-1. QOL questions were completed a median of 6 years following RT. Without adjusting for multiple testing, 13 SNPs had nominally significant associations (p < 0.05) with QOL parameters; 7 remained significant after adjusting for age, features at diagnosis, and use of brachytherapy (Table).We identify candidate SNPs in inflammation-related genes that can be further explored in regards to their associations with long-term effects of prostate-directed RT. [Table: see text].