Is Delayed Treatment Justified in Carcinoma of the Prostate?

Abstract

Summary— We report a retrospective survey of 263 patients with prostate cancer presenting between 1975 and 1979, with a minimum follow‐up period of 5 years. We have evaluated the effects of anti‐cancer therapy on survival and disease‐free interval. The mean survival time of all patients was 39.6 months. Of 91 patients (37.7%) with demonstrable bone metastases at presentation, 64 (70.3%) have died of prostatic cancer, the mean duration of survival being 25 months. There was no difference in terms of response to treatment or of duration of symptom‐free life between patients treated by immediate hormone manipulation and those in whom treatment was delayed. Of 115 patients without metastases at presentation, 42 (36.5%) received no anti‐cancer treatment. Thirty‐seven (32.2%) have died of unrelated causes and 39 (33.9%) are alive and well. Neither survival nor subjective response to treatment was adversely affected by delaying treatment.