In a nutshell
This study compared surgery and radiotherapy for treating localized prostate cancer. They found no significant difference in survival between the two treatments.
Some background
Localized prostate cancer (cancer which has not spread beyond the prostate gland) can be treated with either surgery, radiotherapy, or monitoring without treatment. It is not yet clear which of these treatments is the most effective.
Methods & findings
4,810 patients aged 50-79 with localized prostate cancer were included in this study. They were divided into two groups of 2,405 patients. Group 1 had surgery as their main treatment, while group 2 had radiotherapy as their main treatment. They were followed for an average of 6.3 years to monitor their outcomes.
Overall, 96.8% of patients survived for 5 years and 89.6% survived for 10 years. The survival rate was similar between the two treatment groups, with 1% or less of each group dying of prostate cancer.
In group 2 (treated with radiotherapy), there was a small increase in the number of patients in the 70-79 year age group who died of other causes (not prostate cancer). Patients in this group were 31% more likely to die of causes other than prostate cancer than those treated with surgery.
The bottom line
This study showed that treatment with either surgery or radiotherapy lead to similarly high survival rates in localized prostate cancer.
The fine print
This study was based on medical records and was limited by the information available. More studies are required.
Published By :
Oncology letters
Date :
Nov 01, 2020
