Prostate Cancer May Cause Men to Neglect Other Health Problems

Prostate Cancer May Cause Men to Neglect Other Health Problems

Researchers affiliated with James S. Goodwin, Sealy Center for Aging in Galveston, Texas, have reported that the majority of men with early-stage, low- to moderate-grade prostate cancer die from other causes. This observation suggests that they would benefit from ongoing screening and prevention for cardiovascular disease and other health conditions. The details of this study appeared in the January 1, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.[1]

Prostate cancer is typically a disease of aging. It may persist undetected for many years without causing symptoms. In fact, most men die with prostate cancer, not from prostate cancer. Furthermore, advances in screening and prevention have allowed for earlier detection of the disease, which means men are living with a cancer diagnosis for longer periods of time.

Researchers at the University of Texas used data from 11 regions of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Tumor Registry to analyze the outcomes of men diagnosed with prostate cancer. The analysis included 208,601 men ages 65-84 who had been diagnosed between 1988 and 2002. Overall, 59.1% of the group had early-stage prostate cancer with low- to moderate-grade tumors. The survival rate of this group was similar to that of men the same age without prostate cancer. In fact, five years after the diagnosis of prostate cancer, mortality from the disease was 2.1% compared with 6.4% from cardiovascular disease and 3.8% from other cancers.

These researchers concluded that “the diagnosis of localized, or low- to moderate-grade, prostate cancer has a small effect on life expectancy.”

Comments: Based on their observations, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses were a more significant threat to survival than prostate cancer in men with low-moderate grade tumors. Men in this population need to focus on the screening and prevention of cardiovascular and other diseases in order to manage their overall health. This is especially true in men receiving anti-androgen therapy, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Reference:

[1] Ketchandji M, Kuo YF, Shahinian VB, et al. Cause of death in older men after the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. 2009; 57:24-30.