
"Health wise I am feeling great. I am a big supporter of trials - it allows new treatments and drugs to be brought in.”
This study looked at whether it was possible to predict who might have side effects from radiotherapy for prostate cancer. It was for men aged 70 and over.
Doctors use radiotherapy to treat prostate cancer. But radiotherapy can cause side effects that can affect health and fitness afterwards.
Doctors sometimes find it difficult to decide who is well enough for radiotherapy and who is more likely to have side effects. This is especially true for older people who may have other medical conditions or additional needs. The research team hoped that the results from the questionnaires in this study would help them decide.
The researchers used a series of questionnaires called the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) to assess the health of the men taking part. The CGA asks about factors such as their daily activities, other medical conditions, psychological health, nutrition and general fitness.
They also looked at two other, shorter assessments to see if they were as good at assessing men as the CGA. One was called VES-13 and asked about things such as their age, health and physical ability. The other was called G8 and asked about things such as their mobility, nutrition, health and medications.
The aim of this study was to find out if these questionnaires can help predict who will have side effects from radiotherapy.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Alastair Ring
Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
Sussex Cancer Fund
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
"Health wise I am feeling great. I am a big supporter of trials - it allows new treatments and drugs to be brought in.”