Radical Prostate Surgery Could Help Older Men
Reported October 25, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Research published in the latest issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows radical prostatectomy may be a safe treatment option for prostate cancer in men up to age 79.
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 230,000 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. The chance of developing prostate cancer increases with age. Nearly two of every three prostate cancers are found in men over age 65.
Prior research shows radical prostatectomy can result in lower disease-specific mortality, lower rates of progression or cancer spreading to other parts of the body, and higher overall survival. Few men over age 70, however, are treated with radical prostatectomy. One recent survey shows more than 50 percent of American doctors believe age 70 should be the cut-off for the procedure. Nearly 70 percent of Canadian doctors agreed.
Researchers from the University Health Network and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute studied more than 11,000 men who had a radical prostatectomy between 1990 and 1999. They examined mortality and complications to find out if low use of radical prostatectomies is justified in men over age 70.
Results of the study show, overall, 53 men died (less than 1 percent) and about 20 percent had one or more complications within 30 days of surgery. Age was linked to an increased risk of 30-day mortality, but the absolute risk of death was low — even among men ages 70 to 79. Just 0.66 percent of men in that age group died within 30 days of surgery. Age was not the strongest predictor of complications. Instead, other conditions, like the presence of heart disease or stroke were stronger predictors of nearly all categories of complications.