Purpose Prior studies have reported the underuse of deferred treatment (ie active surveillance or watchful waiting) for low risk prostate cancer in the United States. We examined contemporary trends ...in active surveillance and watchful waiting in the nationwide Swedish prostate cancer registry. We also examined factors associated with selection of deferred management, which might provide insight into the rational diffusion of this important management strategy. Materials and Methods We identified 57,713 men with very low risk (T1c, Gleason 6 or less, prostate specific antigen less than 10 ng/ml, prostate specific antigen density less than 0.20 ng/ml/cc, 2 or fewer positive biopsy cores or less than 25% of cores positive), low risk (T1-T2, Gleason 6 or less, and prostate specific antigen less than 10 ng/ml) and intermediate risk prostate cancer (T1-T2, Gleason 7 and/or prostate specific antigen 10 to 20 ng/ml) in the PCBaSe (Prostate Cancer database Sweden) from 1998 to 2011. Subclassification of very low risk disease, and active surveillance vs watchful waiting was possible beginning in 2007. We examined primary treatment selection by risk group and used logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with deferred treatment. Results Overall 13,272 (46%) men with low risk and 8,695 (30%) with intermediate risk prostate cancer chose deferred treatment. Since 2007, 59%, 41% and 16% of very low, low and intermediate risk prostate cancer, respectively, chose active surveillance. Age was by far the strongest determinant of deferred treatment. Education, marital status and comorbidity were significantly but weakly associated with deferring treatment. Conclusions Deferred treatment for low and intermediate risk prostate cancer was frequently used in Sweden. Dissociating diagnosis from treatment in men with a low risk of progression can decrease the rate of overtreatment.
OBJECTIVE:--To investigate whether hyperglycemia is associated with increased cancer risk. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--In the Västerbotten Intervention Project of northern Sweden, fasting and ...postload plasma glucose concentrations were available for 33,293 women and 31,304 men and 2,478 incident cases of cancer were identified. Relative risk (RR) of cancer for levels of fasting and postload glucose was calculated with the use of Poisson models, with adjustment for age, year of recruitment, fasting time, and smoking status. Repeated measurements 10 years after baseline in almost 10,000 subjects were used to correct RRs for random error in glucose measurements. RESULTS:--Total cancer risk in women increased with rising plasma levels of fasting and postload glucose, up to an RR for the top versus bottom quartile of 1.26 (95% CI 1.09-1.47) (Ptrend <0.001) and 1.31 (1.12-1.52) (Ptrend = 0.001), respectively. Correction for random error in glucose measurements increased these risks up to 1.75 (1.32-2.36) and 1.63 (1.26-2.18), respectively. For men, corresponding uncorrected RR was 1.08 (0.92-1.27) (Ptrend = 0.25) and 0.98 (0.83-1.16) (Ptrend = 0.99), respectively. Risk of cancer of the pancreas, endometrium, urinary tract, and of malignant melanoma was statistically significantly associated with high fasting glucose with RRs of 2.49 (1.23-5.45) (Ptrend = 0.006), 1.86 (1.09-3.31) (Ptrend = 0.02), 1.69 (0.95-3.16) (Ptrend = 0.049), and 2.16 (1.14-4.35) (Ptrend = 0.01), respectively. Adjustment for BMI had no material effect on risk estimates. CONCLUSIONS:--The association of hyperglycemia with total cancer risk in women and in women and men combined for several cancer sites, independently of obesity, provides further evidence for an association between abnormal glucose metabolism and cancer.
Findings on the association between risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the duration and type of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with prostate cancer (PCa) are inconsistent.
By using ...data on filled drug prescriptions in Swedish national health care registers, we investigated the risk of CVD in a cohort of 41,362 men with PCa on ADT compared with an age-matched, PCa-free comparison cohort (n = 187,785) by use of multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models.
From 2006 to 2012, 10,656 men were on antiandrogens (AA), 26,959 were on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, and 3,747 underwent surgical orchiectomy. CVD risk was increased in men on GnRH agonists compared with the comparison cohort (hazard ratio HR of incident CVD, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.25; and orchiectomy: HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.25). Men with PCa on AA were at decreased risk (HR of incident CVD, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.91). CVD risk was highest during the first 6 months of ADT in men who experienced two or more cardiovascular events before therapy, with an HR of CVD during the first 6 months of GnRH agonist therapy of 1.91 (95% CI, 1.66 to 2.20), an HR of CVD with AA of 1.60 (95% CI, 1.24 to 2.06), and an HR of CVD with orchiectomy of 1.79 (95% CI, 1.16 to 2.76) versus the comparison cohort.
Our results support that there should be a solid indication for ADT in men with PCa so that benefit outweighs potential harm; this is of particular importance among men with a recent history of CVD.
Abstract Background Active surveillance (AS) is an important yet underutilized strategy to reduce prostate cancer (PCa) overtreatment. Objective To examine the 5-yr outcomes of AS in a ...population-based setting. Design, setting, and participants From the National Prostate Cancer Register of Sweden, we identified 11 726 men ≤70 yr diagnosed with very low-risk to intermediate-risk PCa from 2003 to 2007 who completed 5 yr of follow-up. Of these men, 1729 (15%) chose AS for the primary management strategy. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis We calculated the probability of discontinuation of AS over time, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine factors associated with discontinuation. Reasons for discontinuation were assessed by data extraction from medical charts. Results and limitations By 5 yr, 64% of the men remained on AS. Predictors of discontinuation were younger age, fewer comorbidities, more education, higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and clinical stage T2 disease; marital status did not predict discontinuation. In a subset with data on the reason for discontinuation (86%), 20% of men discontinued because of patient preference, 52% because of PSA progression, 24% because of biopsy progression, and 3% for other reasons. Conclusions In a population-based setting, the majority of men remained on AS at 5 yr. However, one-fifth of the men who discontinued AS did so for nonbiologic reasons. Thus, there is a need for support and counseling for men to continue AS in the absence of signs of progression to improve adherence to AS and decrease overtreatment. Patient summary Active surveillance (AS) is an important option to delay or avoid treatment for men with favorable prostate cancer features. This study shows that at 5 yr, 64% of men across an entire population remained on AS. We concluded that AS is a durable option and that counseling may be useful to promote adherence for men without progression.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Active surveillance is an important option to reduce prostate cancer overtreatment, but it remains underutilized in many countries. Models from the United States show that greater use of active ...surveillance is important for prostate cancer screening to be cost-effective.
To perform an up-to-date, nationwide, population-based study on use of active surveillance for localized prostate cancer in Sweden.
Cross-sectional study in the National Prostate Cancer Register (NPCR) of Sweden from 2009 through 2014. The NPCR has data on 98% of prostate cancers diagnosed in Sweden and has comprehensive linkages to other nationwide databases. Overall, 32 518 men with a median age of 67 years were diagnosed with favorable-risk prostate cancer, including 4693, 15 403, and 17 115 men with very-low-risk (subset of the low-risk group) (clinical stage, T1c; Gleason score, ≤6; prostate-specific antigen PSA, <10 ng/mL; PSA density <0.15 ng/mL/cm3; and <8-mm total cancer length in ≤4 positive biopsy cores), low-risk (including all men in the very-low-risk group) (T1-T2; Gleason score, ≤6; and PSA, <10 ng/mL), and intermediate-risk disease (T1-T2 with Gleason score, 7 and/or PSA, 10-20 ng/mL).
Diagnosis with favorable-risk prostate cancer.
Utilization of active surveillance.
The use of active surveillance increased in men of all ages from 57% (380 of 665) to 91% (939 of 1027) for very-low-risk prostate cancer and from 40% (1159 of 2895) to 74% (1951 of 2644) for low-risk prostate cancer, with the strongest increase occurring from 2011 onward. Among men aged 50 to 59 years, 88% (211 of 240) with very-low-risk and 68% (351 of 518) with low-risk disease chose active surveillance in 2014. Use of active surveillance for intermediate-risk disease remained lower, 19% (561 of 3030) in 2014.
Active surveillance has become the dominant management for low-risk prostate cancer among men in Sweden, with the highest rates yet reported and almost complete uptake for very-low-risk cancer. These data should serve as a benchmark to compare the use of active surveillance for favorable-risk disease around the world.
Understanding the association between patients' history of prescribed medications and mortality rate could optimize characterization of baseline risk when the Charlson Comorbidity Index is ...insufficient.
Using a Swedish cohort of men selected randomly as controls to men with prostate cancer diagnosed 2007-2013, we estimated the association between medications prescribed during the previous year and mortality rates, using Cox regression stratified for age.
Among the 326,450 older men with median age of 69 years included in this study, 73% were categorized as free of comorbidity according to the Charlson Comorbidity Index; however, 84% had received at least one prescription during the year preceding the follow-up. This was associated with a 60% overall increase in mortality rate (hazard ratio HR = 1.60, 95% confidence interval CI 1.56 to 1.64). Some drugs that were unexpectedly associated with mortality included locally acting antacids (HR = 4.7, 95% CI 4.4 to 5.1), propulsives (HR = 4.7, 95% CI 4.4 to 5.0), vitamin A and D (HR = 4.6, 95% CI 4.3 to 4.9), and loop diuretics, for example furosemide (HR = 3.7; 95% CI 3.6 to 3.8). Thiazide diuretics, however, were only weakly associated with a mortality risk (HR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.4 to 1.5). Surprisingly, only weak associations with mortality were seen for major cardiovascular drug classes.
A majority of older men had a history of prescribed medications and many drug classes were associated with mortality rate, including drug classes not directly indicated for a specific comorbidity represented in commonly used comorbidity measures. Prescription history can improve baseline risk assessment but some associations might be context-sensitive.
Full text
Available for:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK