LATEST NEWS: 16 July 2026

Secondary analysis of data from the TROG 08.03 RAVES randomised phase III trial has provided valuable evidence to inform discussions about the timing of post-prostatectomy radiotherapy.

The analysis, published in European Urology Oncology (as Article in Press), examined self-reported quality of life data among participants from the RAVES trial, which compared adjuvant radiotherapy (aRT) with salvage radiotherapy (sRT) in men with high-risk features following prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

The new findings show that men who received radiotherapy after prostatectomy experienced a small increase in bowel symptoms and a higher risk of long-term urinary incontinence compared with men who ultimately avoided radiotherapy.

However, the timing of radiotherapy did not significantly influence long-term quality of life among men who required treatment.

The findings reinforce the current early salvage radiotherapy approach supported by the original RAVES trial, the researchers said.

Among men who did receive radiotherapy, patient-reported urinary, bowel and sexual outcomes were similar regardless of whether treatment was delivered in the adjuvant setting or the salvage setting in the event of PSA-levels increasing.

Congratulations to lead author Dr Justin Smith and the research team on this important publication, which demonstrates the value of secondary data analyses. By generating new insights from the TROG RAVES study, this work further strengthens the evidence base guiding postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

• Read the paper in European Urology Oncology