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Greater influence of age than co-morbidity on primary treatment and complications of prostate cancer patients: an in-depth population-based study

Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases volume 9, pages 179–184 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

We investigated the influence of age and co-morbidity on treatment, the occurrence of serious non-urological complications of treatment and prognosis for prostate cancer patients diagnosed and treated in community hospitals. Additional information from a random sample of 505 prostate cancer patients (aged 40 years or older) from the Eindhoven Cancer Registry diagnosed between 1995 and 1999 was collected. In all, 43% of the prostate cancer patients aged 40–69 years and 64% of those aged 70 or older suffered from one or more serious concomitant disease that barely affected primary treatment choice. However, compared to patients without co-morbidity, patients with cardiovascular diseases underwent radical prostatectomy less often (P=0.01). In all, 38% of the patients undergoing radical prostatectomy suffered from complications during the first year after diagnosis versus about 20% of those receiving radiotherapy. The number of complications did not seem to be affected by co-morbidity. After adjustment for age, stage, grade, prostate-specific antigen level and treatment, the cumulative risk of death was almost two times higher for patients with two or more concomitant diseases than for patients without co-morbidity. After adjustment for age, prostate cancer patients with co-morbidity were not treated differently, did not suffer from more complications but had a worse prognosis, compared to those without co-morbidity.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from the Dutch Cancer Society (IKZ 2000–2260).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Eindhoven Cancer Registry, Comprehensive Cancer Centre South, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    S Houterman, M L G Janssen-Heijnen, C D G W Verheij & J W Coebergh

  2. Department of Urology, Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    P J M Kil

  3. Department of Radiotherapy, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    H A van den Berg

  4. Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    J W Coebergh

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  1. S Houterman
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  2. M L G Janssen-Heijnen
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  3. C D G W Verheij
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  4. P J M Kil
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  5. H A van den Berg
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  6. J W Coebergh
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Correspondence to S Houterman.

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Houterman, S., Janssen-Heijnen, M., Verheij, C. et al. Greater influence of age than co-morbidity on primary treatment and complications of prostate cancer patients: an in-depth population-based study. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 9, 179–184 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.pcan.4500868

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