Table 2.

Quality Adjusted Life Expectancies [years] for different types of patients, and two different physician beliefs in the curative ability of lymph node irradiation

Patient preference	Age	Risk group	PO a	WP${}_{65\%}^b$	WP${}_{20\%}^c$	Optimal choice d
Min-complications	60	intermediate	12.0	11.4	11.0	PO
	60	high	9.4	9.9	8.8	MD
	75	intermediate	7.1	6.7	6.4	PO
	75	high	5.8	5.9	5.3	MD
Population average	60	intermediate	12.3	12.6	12.1	MD
	60	high	9.8	11.1	10.0	WP
	75	intermediate	7.2	7.3	7.1	MD
	75	high	6.0	6.6	6.1	WP
Max life	60	intermediate	12.5	13.1	12.7	WP
	60	high	9.9	11.7	10.5	WP
	75	intermediate	7.3	7.7	7.4	WP
	75	high	6.1	7.0	6.3	WP

^aPO = prostate-only RT

^b WP_{65 %}= whole pelvic RT assuming a 65% cure rate for occult lymph node disease

^c WP_{20 %}= whole pelvic RT assuming a 20% cure rate for occult lymph node disease

^dMD = optimal choice depends upon physician belief in efficacy of nodal irradiation

Patients are stratified by age, disease risk group and attitude towards the balance between quantity and quality of life