Abstract
This retrospective study aimed at collecting real-life data regarding chemotherapeutical treatments administered for metastatic prostate cancer in Belgium. From the Hospital Disease Database (year 2008), which includes data on full hospitalizations and day clinic for 34.3% of Belgian hospital beds, stays of patients with metastatic prostate cancer were selected based on the combination of ICD-9-CM codes for prostate cancer (185) and metastasis (196-197-198-199). Chemotherapy sessions were identified using the ICD-9-CM code V58.1. Identification of chemotherapeutical regimens was based on drug names. In addition, grade III/IV haematologic toxicities were identified using ICD-9-CM codes. Among the 1171 patients identified with metastatic prostate cancer in 2008, 387 (≈ 33%) were administered chemotherapy. The total number of chemotherapies administered was 521; 272 patients (70.3%) received only one regimen, 97 (25.1%) received two different regimens, 17 (4.4%) and 1 (0.3%) patient received respectively three and 4 regimens during the year. For 38.7% of chemotherapies, the regimen could not be identified. These may represent chemotherapies administered in clinical trial or compassionate use setting. 201 (51.9%) of chemotherapy patients received at least one docetaxel-containing regimen. 194 (50.1%) received docetaxel monotherapy and 10 (2.6%) received docetaxel in combination with another chemotherapeutical agent. The second most commonly identified regimen was mitoxantrone monotherapy, administered to 39 patients (10.1%): 22 of them had received prior docetaxel within the same calendar year. The average number of cycles was 5.83 for docetaxel and 3.27 for mitoxantrone. Other chemotherapy regimens included carboplatin-, fluorouracil- and cisplatin-containing regimens (respectively 4.9%, 3.9% and 2.6% of patients). Among the patients treated with chemotherapy, 21 (5.4%) developed (febrile) neutropenia, 90 (23.3%) had anemia and 37 (9.6%) had thrombocytopenia. This study shows that real-life practice is in line with the European guidelines, recommending docetaxel as first option for chemotherapy in metastatic prostate cancer.
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