Skeletal fractures negatively correlate with overall survival in men with prostate cancer

Abstract

Purpose: We assessed the correlation of skeletal fracture with survival in men with prostate cancer on chronic androgen suppressive therapy.

Materials and methods: A total of 195 consecutive patients on chronic androgen suppression for prostate cancer were evaluated for the history and type of skeletal fracture. Correlation with overall survival was performed via multivariate analysis.

Results: Of these 195 men 24 reported skeletal fracture since the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Median overall survival was 121 and 160 months in men without and with a history of skeletal fracture since the diagnosis of prostate cancer, respectively (p = 0.04). A history of skeletal fracture was retained as a negative predictor of survival on forward stepwise regression analysis (RR = 7.4, p = 0.007).

Conclusions: Our results suggest that skeletal fracture in patients with prostate cancer is an independent and adverse predictor of survival. Consideration for screening men at greatest risk via bone mineral density measurements and initiating empirical skeletal therapies (bisphosphonates, estrogens and so forth) may be warranted. This recommendation awaits validation through prospective randomized trials.