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Clinical Research

Predicting bone scan positivity after biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy in both hormone-naive men and patients receiving androgen-deprivation therapy: results from the SEARCH database

Abstract

Background:

To evaluate the factors associated with positive bone scans after biochemical recurrence (BCR) following radical prostatectomy in both hormone-naive subjects and subjects after androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT).

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of 380 bone scans of 301 hormone-naive subjects and 214 bone scans of 137 subjects after ADT following BCR from the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital database. Generalized estimating equations and local regression plots were used to evaluate bone scan positivity by patients’ demographics, pathological features, PSA levels and kinetics.

Results:

Among hormone-naive subjects and subjects on ADT, bone scan positivity was seen in 24 (6%) and 65 (30%) subjects, respectively. In hormone-naive subjects, the higher prescan PSA, higher PSA velocity (PSAV) and shorter PSA doubling time (PSADT) were significantly associated with positive scans (P=0.008, P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). In subjects after ADT, the prescan PSA, PSAV and PSADT were significantly associated with positive scans (P=0.011, P<0.001 and P=0.002, respectively). Regression plots showed increased scan positivity with increasing PSA levels and shortening PSADT (all P<0.001) for both hormone-naive subjects and subjects after ADT. For a given PSA level and PSADT, subjects on ADT had higher bone scan positivity.

Conclusions:

In both hormone-naive subjects and subjects after ADT, more aggressive and advanced disease identified by higher PSA levels, higher PSAV and shorter PSADT were associated with higher bone scan positivity. For the same PSA level and PSADT, subjects after ADT had higher bone scan positivity than hormone-naive subjects. Therefore, PSA levels and kinetics may be used as selection criteria for bone scan in these patients.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institutes of Health R01CA100938 (WJA), NIH Specialized Programs of Research Excellence Grant P50 CA92131-01A1 (WJA), the Georgia Cancer Coalition (MKT) and NIH K24 CA160653 (SJF).

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Correspondence to D M Moreira.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases website

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Moreira, D., Cooperberg, M., Howard, L. et al. Predicting bone scan positivity after biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy in both hormone-naive men and patients receiving androgen-deprivation therapy: results from the SEARCH database. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 17, 91–96 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/pcan.2013.59

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