Quality of life after definitive linear accelerator-based stereotactic radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a longitudinal study

Background Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy worldwide, and the majority of patients are diagnosed with localized disease. We examined patients’ quality of life after stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer. Methods We included patients who were treated between 2016 and 2020. Inclusion criteria were adenocarcinoma of the prostate; class risk of low, intermediate, and high; and a World Health Organization performance status of 0–2. Quality of life was measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P). Results A total of 439 patients were treated with SBRT, with a median age of 73 years old. The median follow-up period was 34 months. FACT-P Trial Outcome Index ( p < 0.0001), FACT-General ( p = 0.0003), and FACT-P-Total ( p < 0.0001) scores declined at 1 month post-SBRT, then recovered and returned to the same level as before treatment at 3–4 months post-SBRT. The decrease in quality of life in the first month was particularly remarkable in patients who received long-term hormone injections (36%). One month after the end of SBRT, about 22% of patients experienced "quite a bit” or more troubling side effects. Conclusions This study showed longitudinal changes in quality of life by FACT-P after SBRT for prostate cancer. Overall, prostate SBRT was well tolerated.