Aims
The most commonly-diagnosed tumour type in Victoria, including the Loddon Mallee region (LMR), is prostate cancer [1]. There is a gap in the literature for treatment combinations among LMR prostate cancer patients, particularly for subgroups with localised and advanced disease. This study aimed to determine the extent to which men diagnosed with localised and advanced prostate cancer in the LMR received specific treatment combinations.
Methods
The cohort comprised all patients with a Victorian Cancer Registry (VCR) diagnosis of prostate cancer (International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-10 diagnosis code C61) during 2016 at six LMR health services. A retrospective audit of treatment combinations was conducted using hospital data sources, including paper and electronic medical records. The proportions of localised and advanced prostate cancer patients who received each treatment combination were calculated and expressed as percentages. Numbers <5 (<24%) were censored for privacy reasons.
Results
Among 146 localised prostate cancer patients, the four most common active treatment combinations were surgery only (21%), radiotherapy with androgen deprivation therapy [ADT] (14%), radiotherapy only (7%), and surgery with radiotherapy (5%). The most common treatment types among the 21 advanced prostate cancer patients were ADT only (33%), radiotherapy with ADT (<24%), chemotherapy with ADT (<24%), and surgery with ADT (<24%). No active treatment was documented for 49% of localised and 19% of advanced prostate cancer patients.
Conclusions
In the LMR, localised prostate cancer patients were mainly treated surgically only while advanced prostate cancer patients were mainly treated with ADT only. Untreated patients may have been managed through watchful waiting, active surveillance or palliation. Due to differing disease stages and treatment patterns, the supportive care needs of localised and advanced prostate cancer patients are likely to differ.