I-125 Interstitial brachytherapy with or without androgen deprivation therapy among unfavorable-intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S): To determine if patients with unfavorable intermediate-risk (UIR), high-risk (HR), or very high-risk (VHR) prostate cancer (PCa) treated with I-125 interstitial brachytherapy benefit from androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). MATERIALS/METHODS: We reviewed our institutional database of patients with UIR, HR, or VHR PCa, per 2018 NCCN risk classification, treated with definitive I-125 interstitial brachytherapy with or without ADT from 1998-2017. Outcomes including biochemical failure (bF), distant metastases (DM), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression. PCa-specific mortality (PCSM) was analyzed with Fine-Gray competing-risk regression. RESULTS: Of 1033 patients, 262 (25%) received ADT and 771 (75%) did not. Median ADT duration was 6 months. By risk group, 764 (74%) patients were UIR, 219 (21%) HR, and 50 (5%) VHR. ADT was more frequently given to HR (50%) and VHR (56%) patients compared to UIR (16%; p < 0.001), to older patients (p < 0.001), corresponding with increasing PSA (p < 0.001) and Grade Group (p < 0.001). Median follow-up was 4.9 years (0.3 -17.6 years). On multivariable analysis accounting for risk group, age, and year of treatment, ADT was not associated with bF, DM, PCSM, or OS ( p >= 0.05 each). CONCLUSION: Among patients with UIR, HR, and VHR PCa, the addition of ADT to (12)5I interstitial brachytherapy was not associated with improved outcomes, and no subgroup demon-strated benefit. Our findings do not support the use of ADT in combination with I-125 interstitial brachytherapy. Prospective studies are required to elucidate the role of ADT for patients with UIR, HR, and VHR PCa treated with prostate brachytherapy. (C) 2021 American Brachytherapy Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.