Effects on Life Expectancy of Treatment Decisions in Patients With Non-metastatic Prostate Cancer

Background/Aim: Life expectancy is considered in treatment decision-making for non-metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). We explored the factors related to overall survival (OS) and investigated the association between OS and life expectancy in patients with non-metastatic PCa according to various treatment modalities. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 714 patients with non-metastatic PCa between 2006 and 2010 at our institute. The treatment modalities were classified as follows: radical prostatectomy (RP), androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), brachytherapy (BT) and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). We defined life expectancy according to an abridged life table published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan. Results: The median age and initial prostate-specific antigen levels at treatment were 71 years and 8.8 ng/mL, respectively. Advanced age, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) ≥1, cT3a stage and ADT were independent poor prognostic factors for OS. OS and life expectancy did not significantly differ in all patients (p=0.32) and in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) high-risk group (p=0.059). In patients with a life expectancy of <10 years, the OS was significantly shorter than life expectancy (p<0.001). Conclusion: Patients with non-metastatic PCa may live beyond their life expectancy regardless of the type of therapy and NCCN risk classification, and patients with a life expectancy of <10 years may benefit from BT rather than ADT and EBRT.