Background of the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study
Prostate cancer is
the single most common form of non-skin cancer in men in the
United States. In the year 2002 alone, an estimated 189,000
men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and some 30,200
will die of the disease. Prostate cancer exacts a particularly
high toll on African-American men: mortality rates in African-American
men are more than twice as high as rates in White men.
Prostate Cancer (Invasive Only) |
Estimated New Cases, US 2002* |
189,000 |
Estimated Deaths, US 2002* |
30,200 |
Median Age at Diagnosis# |
69.0 |
5-Year Relative Survival Rates
SEER Registries, 1992-1998 by Stage at Diagnosis |
Local and Regional# |
100% |
Distant# |
33.6% |
*Cancer Facts & Figures 2002, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA, 2002. Incidence projections are based on rates from the NCI SEER Program 1979-1998.
#SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1973-1999, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD.
One of the problems facing prostate cancer patients is the uncertainty of
many issues surrounding the management of the disease. It is not known, for
example, if the potential benefits of prostate cancer screening outweigh
the risks, if surgery is better than radiation, or if treatment is better
than no treatment in some cases.
Decisions about treatments for prostate cancer
are difficult to make. One problem is that it is difficult
for the physician to predict whether the tumor will grow slowly
with no health consequences to the patient or will grow quickly
and become life-threatening. Also, there are no randomized trials
that compare the relative benefits of treating early-stage patients
with radiation therapy, radical prostatectomy (surgical removal
of the entire prostate gland along with nearby tissues), or
watchful waiting (following the patient closely and postponing
aggressive therapy unless symptoms of disease progress). About
80% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer have early-stage disease.
In spite of all
these uncertainties, it is known that specific treatments
(radiation therapy, radical prostatectomy, and hormonal therapies)
can have detrimental effects on urinary, bowel, and sexual
functions. By collecting comprehensive data on the health outcomes
of various treatments for prostate cancer, the PCOS will help
men, their families, and physicians make decisions about treatment
options.
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