To identify clinical significance of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in orchiectomized patients with metastatic prostate cancer, we longitudinally investigated significant factors in the progression of the advanced prostate cancer in 28 patients who were comparatively well followed after subcapsular orchiectomy. Following results were obtained. 1) The mean followup interval was 25.9 months (1 to 68 months). Mean patient age was 67.6 years (50 to 82 years). 2) Eleven of 28 patients were expired during follow-up. Death rate was 39.3 percent. 3) Patients whose post-treatment nadir PSA level decreased below 2.8 ng/ml had a significantly longer remission duration rate than those whose nadir PSA remained elevated (mean survival times 53.9 versus 25.4 months, survival rate 85.0 versus 0%, p <0.01). 4) Patients whose interval to nadir PSA was less than 6 months had a significantly longer remission and a larger survival rate than those whose interval to nadir PSA was more than 6 months (mean survival times 58.3 versus 36.4 months, survival rate 93.3 versus 33.3%, p <0.05). 5) After orchiectomy, patients whose duration from nadir PSA level decreased below 2.8 ng/ml to the above 2.8 ng/ml was more than 9 months had a significantly longer remission duration and a larger survival rate than those whose duration was less than 9 months (mean survival times 62.7 versus 24.9 months, survival rate 88.9 versus 27.3%, p <0.001). 6) Patients whose serum PSA was changed earlier than bone scan had a significantly shorter survival duration and a smaller survival rate than those whose bone scan was changed earlier than PSA (mean survival times 24.4 versus 50.3 months, survival rate 30.0 versus 75.0%, p <0.05). 7) Patients whose Gleason grade was below 3 had a better prognosis than those whose Gleason grade was above 4 (mean survival times 50.4 versus 29.9 months, survival rate 78.6 versus 42.9%, p<0.05). 8) Patients` age over 70 years at the time of diagnosis was a Significantly better prognostic factor (p<0.05). pre-treatment PSA levels and PSA half-times were not significant in advanced prostate cancer patients (p>0.05). As the result of the above, we conclude that serial serum PSA levels in advanced prostate cancer patients after endocrinal therapy can aid in distinguishing favorable from nonfavorable responders early in the course of therapy and greatly assist in monitoring for progression.
Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mortality ; Orchiectomy ; Prognosis ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for population screening has presented controversial results in large trials and prior reviews. We investigated the effectiveness of PSA population screening in a systematic review. METHODS: The study was conducted using existing systematic reviews. We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane library, and the major Korean databases. The quality of the systematic reviews was assessed by two reviewers independently using AMSTAR. Randomized controlled trials were assessed using the risk of bias tool in the Cochrane group. Meta-analyses were conducted using Review Manager. The level of evidence of each outcome was assessed using GRADE. RESULTS: Prostate-cancer-specific mortality was not reduced based on similar prior reviews (relative risk [RR] 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-1.07, P=0.31). The detection rate of stage 1 prostate cancer was not greater, with a RR of 1.67 (95% CI, 0.95-2.94) and high heterogeneity. The detection rate of all cancer stages in the screening group was high, with a RR of 1.45 (95% CI, 1.13-1.85). No difference in all-cause mortality was observed between the screening and control groups (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-1.01, P=0.50). Prostate-cancer-specific mortality, all-cause mortality, and diagnosis of prostate cancer at stages 3-4 showed moderate levels of evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Differently from prior studies, our review included updated Norrkoping data and assessed the sole effect of PSA testing for prostate cancer screening. PSA screening alone did not increase early stage prostate cancer detection and did not lower mortality.
Clinical Trials as Topic ; Databases, Factual ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/*analysis ; Prostatic Neoplasms/*diagnosis/mortality

BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Yet, limited is known about patterns of cancer and risk factors for advanced stage cancers in Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 919 patients with biopsy-confirmed cancers at Tikur Anbessa Hospital in Ethiopia, 2010 to 2014. Pearson chi-square test, t-test, analysis of variance and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The majority of the patients were females (72.4%). The commonest malignancies among males were bone and soft tissue (16.5%), colorectal (12.2%), and esophageal (9.1%). Among females, the most common cancers were cervical (39.7%), breast (18.3%), and ovarian (7.1%); of these, 41.7%, 59.0%, and 42.6% were diagnosed at advanced stages, respectively. Females had more advanced stage cancers at diagnosis than males (37.6% vs. 24.8%, P < 0.01). Among males, 46.7% of prostate and 29.0% of colorectal cancers were in advanced stages at the time of diagnosis. Delay in presentation from onset of symptoms was associated with advanced cancer among females (OR = 3.21; 95% CI = 1.69–6.10). Prostate cancer among males (OR = 5.22; 95% CI = 1.26–21.60) and breast cancer among females (OR = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.23–3.03) were more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages. CONCLUSIONS: Cancers with effective screening tests are common in Ethiopia and significant proportions of these were diagnosed at advanced stages, typically several months after onset of symptoms. Timely access to preventive care along with effective educational and screening strategies is needed in Ethiopia for early detection and treatment of common malignancies, such as cervical, breast and colorectal cancers.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Ethiopia ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Risk Factors

Assessing the lethality of 'early,' potentially organ-confined prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the central controversies in modern-day urological clinical practice. Such cases are often considered for radical 'curative' treatment, although active surveillance may be equally appropriate for many men. Moreover, the balance between judicious intervention and overtreatment can be difficult to judge. The patient's age, comorbidities, family history and philosophy of self-health care can be weighed against clinical features such as the palpability of disease, the number and percentage of biopsy cores involved with the disease, histological grade, presenting prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and possible previous PSA kinetics. For many years, scientists and physicians have sought additional molecular factors that may be predictive for disease stage, progression and lethality. Usually, claims for a 'new' unique marker fall short of true clinical value. More often than not, such molecular markers are useful only in multivariate models. This review summarizes relevant molecular markers and models reported up to and including 2008.
Antigens, Neoplasm ; urine ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; mortality ; Sensitivity and Specificity

The prevalence of prostate cancer is increasing, which is one of the leading causes of malignancy-associated deaths of males. Because the early symptoms of prostate cancer are not obvious, 20% of the patients have metastasis at the time of initial diagnosis. The low rate of early diagnosis of prostate cancer has contributed to a higher mortality rate in China than in Europe and the United States. Highly specific and sensitive diagnostic markers exist in the blood, urine and semen of prostate cancer patients. Combined laboratory techniques can improve the rate of the early diagnosis of prostate cancer, help early treatment, and prolong the survival of the patients.
Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; China ; epidemiology ; Europe ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; blood ; diagnosis ; mortality ; United States ; epidemiology

PURPOSE: To investigate predictors of progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) in patients with metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 440 consecutive treatment-naive patients initially diagnosed with mPCa between August 2000 and June 2012. Patient age, body mass index (BMI), Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), PSA nadir, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, Visual Analogue Scale pain score, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score (ECOG PS), PSA response to hormone therapy, and metastatic sites were assessed. Cox-proportional hazards regression analyses were used to evaluate survivals and predictive variables of men with bone metastasis stratified according to the presence of pain, compared to men with visceral metastasis. RESULTS: Metastases were most often found in bone (75.4%), followed by lung (16.3%) and liver (8.3%) tissues. Bone metastasis, pain, and high BMI were associated with increased risks of progression to CRPC, and bone metastasis, pain, PSA nadir, and ECOG PS> or =1 were significant predictors of CSM. During the median follow-up of 32.0 (interquartile range 14.7-55.9) months, patients with bone metastasis with pain and patients with both bone and visceral metastases showed the worst median progression to CRPC-free and cancer-specific survivals, followed by men with bone metastasis without pain. Patients with visceral metastasis had the best median survivals. CONCLUSION: Metastatic spread and pain patterns confer different prognosis in patients with mPCa. Bone may serve as a crucial microenvironment in the development of CRPC and disease progression.
Aged ; Bone Neoplasms/secondary ; *Disease Progression ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pain/diagnosis/etiology/prevention & control ; Pain Measurement ; Prognosis ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood ; Prostatic Neoplasms/mortality/*pathology ; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/mortality/*pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk ; Treatment Outcome

Disparities between African American and Caucasian men in prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and treatment in the United States have been well established, with significant racial disparities documented at all stages of PCa management, from differences in the type of treatment offered to progression-free survival or death. These disparities appear to be complex in nature, involving biological determinants as well as socioeconomic and cultural aspects. We present a review of the literature on racial disparities in the diagnosis of PCa, treatment, survival, and genetic susceptibility. Significant differences were found among African Americans and whites in the incidence and mortality rates; namely, African Americans are diagnosed with PCa at younger ages than whites and usually with more advanced stages of the disease, and also undergo prostate-specific antigen testing less frequently. However, the determinants of the high rate of incidence and aggressiveness of PCa in African Americans remain unresolved. This pattern can be attributed to socioeconomic status, detection occurring at advanced stages of the disease, biological aggressiveness, family history, and differences in genetic susceptibility. Another risk factor for PCa is obesity. We found many discrepancies regarding treatment, including a tendency for more African American patients to be in watchful waiting than whites. Many factors are responsible for the higher incidence and mortality rates in African Americans. Better screening, improved access to health insurance and clinics, and more homogeneous forms of treatment will contribute to the reduction of disparities between African Americans and white men in PCa incidence and mortality.
African Americans ; Diagnosis* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Healthcare Disparities ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insurance, Health ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Risk Factors ; Social Class ; United States ; Watchful Waiting

Disparities between African American and Caucasian men in prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and treatment in the United States have been well established, with significant racial disparities documented at all stages of PCa management, from differences in the type of treatment offered to progression-free survival or death. These disparities appear to be complex in nature, involving biological determinants as well as socioeconomic and cultural aspects. We present a review of the literature on racial disparities in the diagnosis of PCa, treatment, survival, and genetic susceptibility. Significant differences were found among African Americans and whites in the incidence and mortality rates; namely, African Americans are diagnosed with PCa at younger ages than whites and usually with more advanced stages of the disease, and also undergo prostate-specific antigen testing less frequently. However, the determinants of the high rate of incidence and aggressiveness of PCa in African Americans remain unresolved. This pattern can be attributed to socioeconomic status, detection occurring at advanced stages of the disease, biological aggressiveness, family history, and differences in genetic susceptibility. Another risk factor for PCa is obesity. We found many discrepancies regarding treatment, including a tendency for more African American patients to be in watchful waiting than whites. Many factors are responsible for the higher incidence and mortality rates in African Americans. Better screening, improved access to health insurance and clinics, and more homogeneous forms of treatment will contribute to the reduction of disparities between African Americans and white men in PCa incidence and mortality.
African Americans ; Diagnosis* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Healthcare Disparities ; Humans ; Incidence ; Insurance, Health ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Risk Factors ; Social Class ; United States ; Watchful Waiting

INTRODUCTIONThis paper examines the incidence, mortality and survival patterns among all Chinese residents with prostate cancer reported to the Singapore Cancer Registry in Singapore from 1968 to 2002 by metastatic staging.

MATERIALS AND METHODSThis is a retrospective population-based study including all prostate cancer cases aged over 20 reported to the Singapore Cancer Registry (SCR) from 1968 to 2002 who are Singapore Chinese residents. Follow-up was ascertained by matching with the National Death Register until 2002. Metastatic status was obtained from the SCR. Age-standardised incidence and mortality rates, as well as the 5-year relative survival ratios (RSRs), were obtained for each 5-year period and grouped by metastatic stage. A weighted linear regression was performed on the log-transformed age-standardised incidence and mortality rates over the study period.

RESULTSIn the most recent period of 1998 to 2002, the age-standardised incidence and mortality rates (per 100,000) for prostate cancer among the Chinese were 30.9 (95% CI, 29.1 to 32.8) and 9.6 (95% CI, 8.6 to 10.7), respectively. The percentage increase in the age-standardised incidence and age-standardised mortality rates per year were 5.6% and 6.0%, respectively, for all Chinese Singapore residents. There was an improvement in the 5-year RSRs for Chinese diagnosed with non-metastatic cases from 51.3% in 1973 to 1977, to 76.1% in 1998 to 2002. However, the RSR remains poor (range, 11.1% to 49.7%) for Chinese diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer.

CONCLUSIONSBoth age-standardised incidence and mortality rates for prostate cancer among Chinese Singapore residents are still on the rise especially since the 1990s. Since the 1990s, the improvement in RSRs was substantial for the Chinese non-metastatic cases.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; diagnosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; mortality ; Registries ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Survival Rate ; trends ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is a feasible treatment option for high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). While patients may achieve undetectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after RARP, the risk of disease progression is relatively high. We investigated metastasis-free survival, cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) outcomes and prognosticators in such patients. METHODS: In a single-center cohort of 342 patients with high-risk PCa (clinical stage ≥ T3, biopsy Gleason score ≥ 8, and/or PSA levels ≥ 20 ng/mL) treated with RARP and pelvic lymph node dissection between August 2005 and June 2011, we identified 251 (73.4%) patients (median age, 66.5 years; interquartile range [IQR], 63.0–71.0 years) who achieved undetectable PSA levels (< 0.01 ng/mL) postoperatively. Survival outcomes were evaluated for the entire study sample and in groups stratified according to the time to biochemical recurrence dichotomized at 60 months. RESULTS: During the median follow-up of 75.9 months (IQR, 59.4–85.8 months), metastasis occurred in 38 (15.1%) patients, most often to the bones, followed by the lymph nodes, lungs, and liver. The 5-year metastasis-free, cancer-specific, and OS rates were 87.1%, 94.8%, and 94.3%, respectively. Multivariate Cox-regression analysis revealed time to recurrence as an independent predictor of metastasis (P < 0.001). Time to metastasis was an independent predictor of OS (P = 0.003). Metastasis-free and CSS rates were significantly lower among patients with recurrence within 60 months of RARP (log-rank P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: RARP confers acceptable oncological outcomes for high-risk PCa. Close monitoring beyond 5 years is warranted for early detection of disease progression and for timely adjuvant therapy.
Biopsy ; Cohort Studies ; Disease Progression ; Early Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Mortality* ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen* ; Prostatectomy* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Recurrence*