Abstract
BackgroundThe National Research Council (CNR) prostate cancer monitoring project in Italy (Pros-IT CNR) is an observational, prospective, ongoing, multicentre study aiming to monitor a sample of Italian males diagnosed as new cases of prostate cancer. The present study aims to present data on the quality of life at time prostate cancer is diagnosed.MethodsOne thousand seven hundred five patients were enrolled. Quality of life is evaluated at the time cancer was diagnosed and at subsequent assessments via the Italian version of the University of California Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12).ResultsAt diagnosis, lower scores on the physical component of the SF-12 were associated to older ages, obesity and the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities. Lower scores on the mental component were associated to younger ages, the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities and a T-score higher than one.Urinary and bowel functions according to UCLA-PCI were generally good. Almost 5% of the sample reported using at least one safety pad daily to control urinary loss; less than 3% reported moderate/severe problems attributable to bowel functions, and sexual function was a moderate/severe problem for 26.7%. Diabetes, 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities, T2 or T3-T4 categories and a Gleason score of eight or more were significantly associated with lower sexual function scores at diagnosis.ConclusionsData collected by the Pros-IT CNR study have clarified the baseline status of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. A comprehensive assessment of quality of life will allow to objectively evaluate outcomes of different profile of care.
Highlights
The National Research Council (CNR) prostate cancer monitoring project in Italy (Pros-IT CNR) is an observational, prospective, ongoing, multicentre study aiming to monitor a sample of Italian males diagnosed as new cases of prostate cancer
The Pros-IT CNR is a multicenter, prospective study that aims to monitor the quality of life of a sample of Italian male patients 18 years and older who were diagnosed with biopsy-verified treatment-naïve prostate cancer after September 1, 2014
Forty-eight protocol violations were registered in relation to inclusion criteria: diagnoses were formulated before September 1, 2014 for 35 patients and 13 were not naïve to prostate cancer treatments
Summary
The National Research Council (CNR) prostate cancer monitoring project in Italy (Pros-IT CNR) is an observational, prospective, ongoing, multicentre study aiming to monitor a sample of Italian males diagnosed as new cases of prostate cancer. The present study aims to present data on the quality of life at time prostate cancer is diagnosed. Survival rates after a prostate cancer diagnosis continue to rise; approximately 89% of Italian patients are still alive 5 years after diagnosis, with North-western regions showing better rates with respect to Southern ones [2]. Clinical cancer researchers and oncologists recognize the importance of measuring survival and the clinical effects of treatments as well as patients’ quality of life in terms of subjective perceptions of symptoms, including physical, emotional and social functions [3, 4]. The increasing numbers of men with prostate cancer diagnoses and rising life expectancies underscore the importance of evaluating the quality of life of these patients [5, 6]. A number of studies have demonstrated that prostate cancer and its treatments affect physical and psychological health, as well as urinary, bowel and sexual function, with effects that seem to differ depending on the stage of the disease and the treatment being given [5, 7]
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