Are evidence-based guidelines translating into clinical practice? A national population-based study of the use of treatment intensification in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) in England

Abstract

Background and objective: International guidelines recommend treatment intensification combining docetaxel or androgen receptor pathway inhibitors with androgen deprivation therapy for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). However, evidence suggests underuse in many high-income countries. This study evaluates the use of treatment intensification in the English National Health Service (NHS) and explores patient and hospital-level factors associated with variation.

Methods: All men diagnosed with mHSPC in England between January 2018 and December 2022 were identified through the national cancer registry. Treatment intensification within six months of diagnosis was assessed using hospital and systemic anti-cancer therapy data. Multilevel regression models explored associations between treatment intensification and sociodemographic factors including age, comorbidities, frailty, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, rurality, and year of diagnosis. Variation among the 47 specialist multidisciplinary teams (sMDTs), responsible for coordinating prostate cancer care in England, was also evaluated.

Key findings and limitations: Among 29,713 mHSPC patients, treatment intensification use was 39.0 %. Treatment intensification use decreased with age, comorbidities, frailty, socioeconomic deprivation, and among black patients (p always < 0.05). 59.8 % (n = 9184) of men aged 75 or younger had a record of treatment intensification, compared to only 16.8 % (n = 2404) of men older than 75. The use of treatment intensification across sMDTs ranged from 20.3 % to 53.7 %, with greater variation in older patients, particularly those older than 75.

Conclusions and clinical implications: There is potential underuse of treatment intensification for mHSPC patients, particularly among older, black, and socioeconomically deprived patients. Significant variation in practice exists between specialist prostate cancer teams (sMDTs) nationally, especially in older populations, indicating that many patients may not receive optimal care.

Keywords: Cancer; Intensification; Metastatic; Prostate; Treatment; Utilisation.