Declining Use of Radiotherapy for Adverse Features After Radical Prostatectomy: Results From the National Cancer Data Base

Abstract

Background: Patterns of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) use in prostate cancer (PCa) after the publication of major randomized trials have not been well characterized.

Objective: To describe patterns of postoperative RT use after radical prostatectomy (RP) in patients with adverse pathologic features in the United States.

Design, setting, and participants: Retrospective analysis of 97 270 patients with PCa diagnosed between 2005 and 2011 whose presentation and outcomes were recorded in the National Cancer Data Base.

Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Temporal changes in receipt of postoperative RT and factors associated with receipt of this treatment using the Cochran-Armitage trend test and multiple logistic regression, respectively.

Results and limitations: Between 2005 and 2011, receipt of postoperative RT decreased steadily from 9.1% to 7.3% (ptrend<0.001). Use of RT with or without androgen deprivation therapy monotonically decreased with advancing age from 8.5% in patients aged 18-59 yr to 6.8% in patients aged 70-79 yr (ptrend<0.001). Receipt of RT was higher at community cancer programs compared with teaching/research centers (14% vs 7.3%; odds ratio [OR]: 2.16; p<0.001), in those with pT3-4 disease and positive margins compared with those with pT3-4 and negative margins (17% vs 5.9%; OR: 2.89; p<0.001), and in patients with a Gleason score of 8-10 compared with those with a Gleason score of 2-6 (17% vs 4.2%; OR: 3.50; p<0.001). Limitations include lack of postprostatectomy prostate-specific antigen level.

Conclusions: Postoperative RT use for localized PCa in patients with adverse pathologic features is declining in the United States.

Patient summary: In this report, we show that use of postoperative radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer with adverse pathologic features is declining. Patients treated at community cancer programs, those with locally advanced disease and positive margins, and those with a high Gleason score were more likely to receive postoperative radiotherapy.

Keywords: Androgen deprivation therapy; Postoperative radiotherapy; Prostate cancer; Radical prostatectomy.