RADICALS is a large clinical trial which is taking place in the
UK and Canada at the moment. It is a
phase III randomised controlled trial that will recruit
approximately 3000 men to help answer two important questions for
men who have had surgery for prostate cancer:
- Which is the best way to use radiotherapy after surgery?
- Which is the best way to use hormone treatment with any
radiotherapy given after surgery
In breast cancer, surgery is followed by radiotherapy and
hormone treatment, because the combination is better than surgery
alone. In prostate cancer, surgery alone is a standard
treatment, and we are not sure how best to use radiotherapy and
hormone treatment after surgery.
The trial may be suitable at some point for most men who have a
radical prostatectomy.
There are two parts to the study: the Radiotherapy Timing Comparison and the
Hormone Duration Comparison.
RADICALS may be suitable both for:
- men who need radiotherapy at some point after their
operation
- men for whom the doctors aren’t sure whether radiotherapy is
needed after the operation
Men who need radiotherapy after their operation can enter into
the Hormone Duration Comparison of
RADICALS.
Men for whom there is uncertainty about whether radiotherapy is
needed straight after the operation can join the Radiotherapy Timing Comparison. If they
wish to, they can also join the Hormone
Duration Comparison.