The Risk of Dying of Prostate Cancer in Patients with Clinically Localized Disease

Abstract

From 1966 to 1979, 360 patients with clinical stages A2, B and Cl prostate cancer underwent staging pelvic lymphadenectomy, and completed a course of combined interstitial radioactive gold seeds and external beam radiotherapy. All patients had a normal serum prostatic acid phosphatase level and a bone scan negative for metastases. All patients were followed until death or for a mean of 7.3 years (range 1.2 to 18.25 years) for those alive at analysis. To determine the risk of dying of prostate cancer we reviewed the records of the 142 patients (39%) who died. At analysis 21% of the patients had died of prostate cancer and 17% of other known causes. The cause of death could not be determined in 4 patients (1%). Cardiovascular disease accounted for a fifth of all deaths.