SynthesisPloS one2016
The Effectiveness of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy versus Three-Dimensional Radiation Therapy in Prostate Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of the Literatures.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Reducing adverse effects in hypofractionated radiotherapy for prostate cancer: Clinical evidence and emerging mitigation strategies.Prostate cancer and prostatic diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Low-dose-rate brachytherapy as a primary treatment for localised and locally advanced prostate cancer: a systematic review of economic evaluations.Prostate cancer and prostatic diseases · 2025Pooled it
- Long term genitourinary toxicity following curative intent intensity-modulated radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Prostate cancer and prostatic diseases · 2023Pooled it
- Effectiveness of rectal displacement devices in managing prostate motion: a systematic review.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2021Pooled it
- Interventions to reduce acute and late adverse gastrointestinal effects of pelvic radiotherapy for primary pelvic cancers.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Pooled it
- Pooled it
- A-blockers for the management of lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with prostate cancer treated with external beam radiotherapy: a randomized controlled study.World journal of urology · 2021Trial
- Deep learning-based prediction of interfractional anatomic variations in prostate cancer radiotherapy.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2026Article
- IMRT planning quality under a single full-time radiation oncologist supported by structured remote peer review and planning assistance versus the two-oncologist standard: the REMOTE-IMRT prospective, pair-matched, multi-institutional trial.Japanese journal of radiology · 2026Article
- Article
- Trends in Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Utilization for Definitive Treatment of Intact Cervical Cancer, 2004-2019.Advances in radiation oncology · 2026Article
- Prostatectomy versus definitive radiation for localized prostate cancer: revisiting the debate at a tertiary cancer center.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Article
- Dosimetric and Radiobiological Comparison of Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy and Helical Tomotherapy in Whole Pelvic Radiotherapy of Prostate Cancer Patients.Journal of biomedical physics & engineering · 2025Article
- Socioeconomic and Geographic Disparities in Anorectal and Urinary Procedures Following Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer.Cancer medicine · 2025Article
- Comparing post-treatment urinary and colorectal procedures in prostate cancer patients using population-based linked data.International urology and nephrology · 2025Article
- Clinical and functional outcomes for risk-appropriate treatments for prostate cancer.BJUI compass · 2024Article
- The Current Trend of Radiation Therapy for Patients with Localized Prostate Cancer.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2023Review
- Urinary Continence Recovery after Retzius-Sparing Robot Assisted Radical Prostatectomy and Adjuvant Radiation Therapy.Cancers · 2023Article
- Toxicity of dose-escalated radiotherapy up to 84 Gy for prostate cancer.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2023Article
- Clinical outcome in metastatic prostate cancer after primary radiotherapy.Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al] · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
background and purposeIntensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) can deliver higher doses with less damage of healthy tissues compared with three-dimensional radiation therapy (3DCRT). However, for the scenarios with better clinical outcomes for IMRT than 3DCRT in prostate cancer, the results remain ambiguous. We performed a meta-analysis to assess whether IMRT can provide better clinical outcomes in comparison with 3DCRT in patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND
methodsWe conducted a meta-analysis of 23 studies (n = 9556) comparing the clinical outcomes, including gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity, genitourinary (GU) toxicity, biochemical controland overall survival (OS).
resultsIMRT was significantly associated with decreased 2-4 grade acute GI toxicity [risk ratio (RR) = 0.59 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.44, 0.78)], late GI toxicity [RR = 0.54, 95%CI (0.38, 0.78)], late rectal bleeding [RR = 0.48, 95%CI (0.27, 0.85)], and achieved better biochemical control[RR = 1.17, 95%CI (1.08, 1.27)] in comparison with 3DCRT. IMRT and 3DCRT remain the same in regard of grade 2-4 acute rectal toxicity [RR = 1.03, 95%CI (0.45, 2.36)], late GU toxicity [RR = 1.03, 95%CI (0.82, 1.30)] and overall survival [RR = 1.07, 95%CI (0.96, 1.19)], while IMRT slightly increased the morbidity of grade 2-4 acute GU toxicity [RR = 1.08, 95%CI (1.00, 1.17)].
conclusionsAlthough some bias cannot be ignored, IMRT appears to be a better choice for the treatment of prostate cancer when compared with 3DCRT.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.