Background
We examined the changes over time in other-cause mortality (OCM) rates in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer (PCa) as an indicator of patient selection.
Patients and Methods
Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1987-2011), we identified patients with PCa treated with either radical prostatectomy (RP) (n = 230,969; 62.8%) or external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) (n = 136,915; 37.2%). Temporal trends and multivariable Cox regression analyses assessed OCM at 5 years using stratification according to year of diagnosis (1987-1991 vs. 1992-1996 vs. 1997-2001 vs. 2002-2006 vs. 2007-2011), age group, and ethnicity.
Results
In patients who had undergone RP, the OCM rates at 5 years of follow-up decreased over time from 7.9% to 2.4% (slope, −0.25%/year) versus from 15.2% to 9.9% after EBRT (slope, −0.29%/year). The greatest decrease in 5-year OCM rates over time was recorded in patients ≥ 75 years (16.0%-12.0%; slope, −0.25%/year), followed by younger age categories (70-74 years, −0.21%/year; 65-69 years, −0.17%/year; 60-64 years, −0.10%/year; < 60 years, −0.07%/year), as well as in African-American men (11.0%-5.1%; slope, −0.32%/year), followed by Caucasian (7.6%-3.4%; slope, −0.21%/year) and Hispanic men (7.0%-3.1%; slope, −0.20%/year; all P < .001), as corroborated in multivariable Cox regression models.
Conclusions
OCM rates were highest in oldest individuals and in African-American men. In both groups, an important 5-year OCM reduction over the 25-year study span was recorded. Nonetheless, these 2 patient groups may still represent the ideal target for better patient selection based on OCM considerations, because their most recent OCM rates exceeded those of, respectively, younger and Caucasian patients.