Survival Analysis and Prognostic Factors in Prostate Cancer Patients: A Single Center Experience in Eastern Anatolia

Abstract

Objective: Prostate cancer (PC), one of the most common malignancies of the urogenital tract, is more common in older men and shows significant prognostic differences among individuals. In recent years, new grade groups and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage groups have been used to predict prognosis. However, there is limited information on the prognostic significance of this new system in PC patients in Turkey. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the follow-up results of patients with diagnosis of PC, and the clinical significance of the new prognostic staging system in this patient population in Eastern Anatolia Region.
 Methods: Retrospectively, 141 PC patients being followed up in Erzurum Ataturk University of Medical Oncology Department were included in this study. The relationships between overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) and clinical-pathological parameters were analysed using Kaplan-Meier curves and compared with the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to determine the prognostic significance of clinical and pathologic variables for PFS and OS.
 Results: The median age of patients was 69 and the majority of them were stage IV patients (79.4%). The median value of prostate specific antigen (PSA) was 39 ng/mL and the median Gleason score was 8. The majority of the patients had PSA value of ≥ 20 ng / ml (61.7%) and Gleason grade group 5 (35.5%). The median PFS and OS values were 29 and 33 months, respectively. The 5-year survival rates were 50% for local-locoregional disease and 20% for metastatic disease. PFS and OS were longer in patients with good Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (0-1), early stage (I-II), undergone to surgery, having low PSA (< 10 ng / ml) and low Gleason group (1-2). According to the multivariate analysis; stage, PSA and Gleason grade group were independent prognostic factors for both PFS and OS.
 Conclusion: The new grading system, PSA and AJCC staging system are independent prognostic factors in patients with PC. Considering that patients in our region have shorter life spans compared to the world, these prognostic factors should be used more effectively in daily practice in determination of treatment strategy.