EAU 2011 - Race and treatment choice affect cancer specific and overall survival differently in 16,508 men with localized prostate cancer treated in Cancer Research Networks in the United States

VIENNA, AUSTRIA (UroToday.com) - Patients with localized prostate cancer (CaP) were treated either conservatively or by radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy. Survival data was extracted from tumor registries of six Cancer Research Network sites in the United States. Patients were stratified into four racial groups: Caucasians, African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians. Long-term survival was compared in the three treatment groups by regression analysis.

Survival was best for patients who underwent radical prostatectomy compared to radiotherapy or watchful waiting. This was true for patients of all races combined, as well as for all races individually, and especially for Caucasian men. Radiotherapy had at least equivalent survival outcomes to watchful waiting in all groups. The greatest difference between treatment types was noted for overall survival to a larger extent than CaP-specific survival. This did vary among races.

This retrospective study has similar studies published recently from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and UCSF. A validated prospective study providing definitive understanding will likely never be achieved.

Presented by Prasanna Sooriakumaran, MD, PhD, et al. at the 26th Annual European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress - March 18 - 21, 2011 - Austria Centre Vienna, Vienna, Austria

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the UroToday.com Contributing Medical Editor and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the European Association of Urology (EAU)

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