Patterns of care and outcomes for men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Victoria: an update

Abstract

Background To update patterns of care for men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Victoria, Australia between 2008 and 2015. Methods From August 2008 to December 2015, 14 025 men diagnosed with prostate cancer were included. These data were obtained from the Prostate Cancer Outcome Registry – Victoria (PCOR‐Vic). Frequencies were used to describe hospital and patient characteristics and treatment types. Comparisons were made between previous period of analysis (2008–2011) to the most recent period (2011–2015). Survival analysis using a stepwise Cox proportional hazards regression model was performed. Results Mean age of diagnosis was 66.5 years and 44% of patients were diagnosed with Gleason 7 prostate cancer. Majority of notifications (63.6%) were received from a private institution and 70.2% of patients were diagnosed at a metropolitan institution. Most patients (95.3%) were diagnosed with clinically localized disease. Within 12 months of diagnosis, 55.9% of patients with low‐risk disease received no active treatment. Radical prostatectomy was the most common primary treatment with curative intent (47%). When comparing of patterns of care between 2008–2011 and 2011–2015, the proportion of patients diagnosed with Gleason 9–10 disease increased, as has the proportion of patients diagnosed with metastatic disease. Conclusion With the PCOR‐Vic, we were able to identify that increasing number of patients were diagnosed with high‐risk and metastatic disease. There has been an overall decrease in radical treatment rates, likely due to active surveillance playing a significant role especially in patients with low‐risk prostate cancer.