Active surveillance should be considered for select men with Grade Group 2 prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Treatment decisions for localized prostate cancer must balance patient preferences, oncologic risk, and preservation of sexual, urinary and bowel function. While Active Surveillance (AS) is the recommended option for men with Grade Group 1 (Gleason Score 3 + 3 = 6) prostate cancer without other intermediate-risk features, men with Grade Group 2 (Gleason Score 3 + 4 = 7) are typically recommended active treatment. For select patients, AS can be a possible initial management strategy for men with Grade Group 2. Herein, we review current urology guidelines and the urologic literature regarding recommendations and evidence for AS for this patient group. MAIN BODY: AS benefits men with prostate cancer by maintaining their current quality of life and avoiding treatment side effects. AS protocols with close follow up always allow for an option to change course and pursue curative treatment. All the major guideline organizations now include Grade Group 2 disease with slightly differing definitions of eligibility based on risk using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, Gleason score, clinical stage, and other factors. Selected men with Grade Group 2 on AS have similar rates of deferred treatment and metastasis to men with Grade Group 1 on AS. There is a growing body of evidence from randomized controlled trials, large observational (prospective and retrospective) cohorts that confirm the oncologic safety of AS for these men. While some men will inevitably conclude AS at some point due to clinical reclassification with biopsy or imaging, some men may be able to stay on AS until transition to watchful waiting (WW). Magnetic resonance imaging is an important tool to confirm AS eligibility, to monitor progression and guide prostate biopsy. CONCLUSION: AS is a viable initial management option for well-informed and select men with Grade Group 2 prostate cancer, low volume of pattern 4, and no other adverse clinicopathologic findings following a well-defined monitoring protocol. In the modern era of AS, urologists have tools at their disposal to better stage patients at initial diagnosis, risk stratify patients, and gain information on the biologic potential of a patient's prostate cancer.

Changes in lifestyle among prostate cancer survivors: A nationwide population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Long-term information on lifestyle changes among prostate survivors is lacking. In this nationwide, population-based study we investigated the prevalence of lifestyle changes, factors associated with lifestyle changes and associations between lifestyle changes and general quality of life. METHODS: All men registered in the National Prostate Cancer Register of Sweden diagnosed in 2008 with low-risk prostate cancer at age 70 years or younger were sent a questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals for factors potentially associated with lifestyle change. RESULTS: Out of 1288, 1720 men (75%) were responded. A total of 279 (22%) reported a positive lifestyle change regarding diet or exercise. Poor functional outcomes after treatment was associated with exercising less (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.1) and less interest in social activities and relationships (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.5-2.1). Men who exercised more (OR 7.9, 95% CI 4.4-14) and men who had an increased interest in relationships and social activities (OR 5.2, 95% CI 2.1-13) reported higher general quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable proportion of men reported making positive lifestyle changes after the prostate cancer diagnosis. The time after diagnosis may be a teachable moment that facilitates lifestyle interventions. Poor functional outcomes after treatment may reduce the willingness to engage in positive lifestyle change, which need be considered when supporting men after treatment. Men who made a positive lifestyle change, regardless of whether it was exercise or regarding relationships and social activities more often reported a high level of general quality of life.

Patient-reported Side Effects 1 Year After Radical Prostatectomy or Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer: A Register-based Nationwide Study.

BACKGROUND: Data on functional and psychological side effects following curative treatment for prostate cancer are lacking from large, contemporary, unselected, population-based cohorts. OBJECTIVE: To assess urinary symptoms, bowel disturbances, erectile dysfunction (ED), and quality of life (QoL) 12 mo after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) and radiotherapy (RT) using patient-reported outcome measures in the Swedish prostate cancer database. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a nationwide, population-based, cohort study in Sweden of men who underwent primary RARP or RT between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Absolute proportions and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using multivariable logistic regression, with adjustment for clinical characteristics. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 2557 men underwent RARP and 1741 received RT. Men who underwent RT were older (69 vs 65 yr) and had more comorbidities at baseline. After RARP, 13% of men experienced incontinence, compared to 6% after RT. The frequency of urinary bother was similar, at 18% after RARP and 18% after RT. Urgency to defecate was reported by 14% of men after RARP and 34% after RT. At 1 yr, 73% of men had ED after RARP, and 77% after RT. High QoL was reported by 85% of men after RARP and 78% of men after RT. On multivariable regression analysis, RT was associated with lower risks of urinary incontinence (OR 0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.19-0.33), urinary bother (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.66-0.95), and ED (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.46-0.65), but higher risk of bowel symptoms (OR 2.86, 95% CI 2.42-3.39). QoL was higher after RARP than after RT (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.12-1.61). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term specific side effects after curative treatment for prostate cancer significantly differed between RARP and RT in this large and unselected cohort. Nevertheless, the risk of urinary bother was lower after RT, while higher QoL was common after RARP. PATIENT SUMMARY: In our study of patients treated for prostate cancer, urinary bother and overall quality of life are comparable at 1 year after surgical removal of the prostate in comparison to radiotherapy, despite substantial differences in other side effects.

Short term outcomes after robot assisted and open cystectomy - A nation-wide population-based study.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to compare short term outcomes after robot assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) and open radical cystectomy (ORC) for urinary bladder cancer in a large population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included all patients without distant metastases who underwent either RARC or ORC with ileal conduit between 2011 and 2019 registered in the Bladder cancer data Base Sweden (BladderBaSe) 2.0. Primary outcome was unplanned readmissions within 90 days, and secondary outcomes within 90 days of surgery were reoperations, Clavien 3-5 complications, total days alive and out of hospital, and mortality. The analysis was carried out using multivariate regression models. RESULTS: Out of 2905 patients, 832 were operated with RARC and 2073 with ORC. Robotic procedures were to a larger extent performed during later years, at high volume centers (47% vs 17%), more often for organ-confined disease (82% vs. 72%) and more frequently in patients with high socioeconomic status (26% vs. 21%). Patients operated with RARC were more commonly readmitted (29% vs. 25%). In multivariable analysis RARC was associated with decreased risk of Clavien 3-5 complications (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.47-0.72), reoperations (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.39-0.71) and had more days alive and out of hospital (mean difference 3.7 days, 95% CI 2.4-5.0). CONCLUSION: This study illustrates the "real-world" effects of a gradual and nation-wide introduction of RARC. Patients operated with RARC had fewer major complications and reoperations but were more frequently readmitted compared to ORC. The observed differences were largely due to more wound related complications among patients treated with ORC.

2022 Update on Prostate Cancer Epidemiology and Risk Factors-A Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Understanding the epidemiology and risk factors of the disease is paramount to improve primary and secondary prevention strategies. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and summarize the current evidence on the descriptive epidemiology, large screening studies, diagnostic techniques, and risk factors of PCa. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: PCa incidence and mortality rates for 2020 were obtained from the GLOBOCAN database of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. A systematic search was performed in July 2022 using PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE biomedical databases. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022359728). EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Globally, PCa is the second most common cancer, with the highest incidence in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean. Risk factors include age, family history, and genetic predisposition. Additional factors may include smoking, diet, physical activity, specific medications, and occupational factors. As PCa screening has become more accepted, newer approaches such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biomarkers have been implemented to identify patients who are likely to harbor significant tumors. Limitations of this review include the evidence being derived from meta-analyses of mostly retrospective studies. CONCLUSIONS: PCa remains the second most common cancer among men worldwide. PCa screening is gaining acceptance and will likely reduce PCa mortality at the cost of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Increasing use of MRI and biomarkers for the detection of PCa may mitigate some of the negative consequences of screening. PATIENT SUMMARY: Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the second most common cancer among men, and screening for PCa is likely to increase in the future. Improved diagnostic techniques can help reduce the number of men who need to be diagnosed and treated to save one life. Avoidable risk factors for PCa may include factors such as smoking, diet, physical activity, specific medications, and certain occupations.

Satisfaction with Nurse-led Follow-up in Prostate Cancer Patients-A Nationwide Population-based Study.

Background: Satisfaction with nurse-led follow-up among men with prostate cancer is high. However, it is unclear whether all men are satisfied or whether there are men who would benefit from being followed by a urologist or a nurse. Objective: To investigate the follow-up distribution between urologists and nurses, and whether the high self-reported satisfaction with nurse-led follow-up is independent of other factors such as age or comorbidity.Design, setting, and participants:All Swedish men, ≤70 yr of age, with a low-risk prostate cancer diagnosis in 2008, answered a questionnaire 7 yr after diagnosis. The extensive questionnaire included a question on satisfaction with care, answered on a seven-point scale. Participants were divided based on whether they were followed up by a nurse, a urologist, or both.Outcome measurements and statistical analysis:Factors that could influence the level of satisfaction were identified as age, education, comorbidity, treatment, disease progression, urinary bother, level of information, and participation in treatment decision. Likelihood ratio tests from ordinal regression were used to test the null hypothesis of similar satisfaction between groups. Results and limitations: Out of 1288 men, 1137 (88%) answered both the question on who performed the follow-up and the question regarding satisfaction. In all, 350 men reported that they were followed up by nurses (31%), 598 (52%) by urologists, and 189 (17%) by both. No differences in satisfaction where seen between the groups. Approximately 50% were satisfied completely, regardless of who performed the follow-up. Results were not affected by age, educational level, comorbidity, treatment, disease progression, urinary bother, information, or participation in treatment decision. Limitations include the nonrandomized, retrospective design and a potential recall bias. Conclusions: Satisfaction with nurse-led follow-up is high, regardless of factors such as age, level of education, comorbidity, and treatment. Patient summary: Men with prostate cancer can be offered nurse-led follow-up on a regular basis and still maintain their satisfaction with health care.

Changes in Characteristics of Men with Lethal Prostate Cancer During the Past 25 Years: Description of Population-based Deaths.

Background: Attempts to reduce prostate cancer (PC) mortality require an understanding of temporal changes in the characteristics of men with lethal PC. Objective: To describe the diagnostic characteristics of and time trends for a nationwide population-based cohort of Swedish men who died from PC between 1992 and 2016. Design setting and participants: Men with PC as the underlying cause of death from 1992 to 2016 according to the Swedish Cause of Death Register were included in the study. Characteristics at diagnosis were collected via links to other nationwide registries using personal identity numbers. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Data on disease duration, age at death, and risk category were analyzed. Missing data for risk categories for men with an early date of PC diagnosis were imputed according to the method of chained equations. Results and limitations: Between 1992 and 2016, age-standardized PC mortality decreased by 25%. Median PC disease duration increased from 3.3 yr (interquartile range [IQR] 1.6-6.3) to 5.9 yr (IQR 2.5-10.3) and the median age at death from PC increased from 78.9 yr (IQR 73.3-84.2) to 82.2 yr (IQR 75.2-87.5). The proportion of men with localized disease at diagnosis who died from PC increased from 34% to 48%, while the rate of distant metastases at diagnosis decreased from 56% to 42%. The rate of distant metastases at diagnosis was highest among the youngest men. Treatment trajectories could not be described owing to the large proportion of missing data before the start of registration in the National Prostate Cancer Registry. Conclusion: Age-standardized PC mortality has decreased substantially since 1992. However, there is still a high proportion of men who die from PC who had localized disease at diagnosis, which indicates that more attention is needed to identify the underlying causes to prevent disease progression. Since the proportion of men with distant metastases at diagnosis remains high, early detection of lethal tumors is essential to further reduce PC mortality. Patient summary: We investigated the characteristics of men who died from prostate cancer in Sweden between 1992 and 2016. We found that men with lethal prostate cancer live longer and are older when they die today in comparison to men who died at the beginning of the study period. However, the proportion of men with distant metastases at diagnosis remains high, which is why early detection of lethal tumors is essential to reduce mortality.

Surgeon volume and patient-reported urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. Population-based register study in Sweden.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between surgeon volume and urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy. METHODS: A total of 8326 men in The National Prostate Cancer Register of Sweden (NPCR) underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) between 2017 and 2019 of whom 56% (4668/8 326) had responded to a questionnaire one year after RARP. The questionnaire included the question: 'How much urine leakage do you experience?' with the response alternatives 'Not at all', 'A little', defined as continence and 'Moderately', 'Much/Very much' as incontinence. Association between incontinence and mean number of RARPs/year/surgeon was analysed with multivariable logistic regression including age, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), PSA, prostate volume, number of biopsy cores with cancer, cT stage, Gleason score, lymph node dissection, nerve sparing intent and response rate to the questionnaire. RESULTS: 14% (659/4 668) of the men were incontinent one year after RARP. There was no statistically significant association between surgeon volume and incontinence. Older age (>75 years vs. < 65 years, OR 2.29 [95% CI 1.48-3.53]), higher CCI (CCI 2+ vs. CCI 0, OR 1.37 [95% CI 1.04-1.80]) and no nerve sparing intent (no vs. yes OR 1.53 [95% CI 1.26-1.85]) increased risk of incontinence. There were large differences in the proportion of incontinent men between surgeons with similar annual volumes, which remained after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of association between surgeon volume and incontinence and the wide range in outcome between surgeons with similar volumes underline the importance of individual feedback to surgeons on functional results.

Variation in Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing Rates and Prostate Cancer Treatments and Outcomes in a National 20-Year Cohort.

Importance: The diagnostic activity for prostate cancer has increased during the past decades. However, the benefit and harm of the increased diagnostic activity have not been quantified in detail for a country or a large region. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate and quantify the association between increases in diagnostic activity driven by prostate-specific antigen testing and incidence of prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment, and mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used the Proxy-Based Risk-Stratified Incidence Simulation Model-Prostate Cancer to examine observed data on all Swedish men with prevalent prostate cancer and compare them with a corresponding, hypothetical, simulated scenario with more restrictive diagnostic activity. All men aged 40 to 100 years living in Sweden during the time period 1996 to 2016 with incident and prevalent prostate cancer were included. The second scenario is the corresponding, hypothetical, simulated scenario where diagnostic activity remained constant as of 1996 (the beginning of the prostate-specific antigen testing era) throughout the study period. Exposures: High or low diagnostic activity for prostate cancer. Main Outcomes and Measures: Incidence of prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment (deferred treatment, curative treatment, and hormonal treatment), and prostate cancer mortality. Results: During the study period from 1996 to 2016, 188 884 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer at a median (interquartile range) age of 71 (64-77) years. Compared with the low-diagnostic activity scenario, in the high-diagnostic activity scenario, the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer was 48% higher (423 vs 286 [95% CI, 271-302] per 100 000 men per year), 148% more men were diagnosed with low- or intermediate-risk cancer (221 vs 89 [95% CI, 73-105] per 100 000 men per year), and 108% more men received curative treatment (152 vs 73 [95% CI: 66-85] per 100 000 men per year). There were up to 15% fewer prostate cancer deaths in the scenario with high-diagnostic activity (incidence rate ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.82-0.88). Conclusions and Relevance: This study's results suggest that increased prostate-specific antigen testing and diagnostic activity are associated with a larger number of men being diagnosed with prostate cancer, predominately with low- and intermediate-risk disease. The increased diagnostic activity was associated with a 2-fold increase in curative treatment and a modest decrease in mortality.

PSA testing patterns in a large Swedish cohort before the implementation of organized PSA testing.

BACKGROUND: Organized PSA testing for asymptomatic men aged 50-74 years will be implemented in Sweden to reduce opportunistic testing in groups who will not benefit. The aim of this study was to describe the opportunistic PSA testing patterns in a Swedish region before the implementation of organized PSA testing programs. METHOD: We included all men in the Uppsala-Örebro health care region of Sweden who were PSA tested between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2014. Information regarding previous PSA testing, prostate cancer diagnosis, socioeconomic situation, surgical procedures and prescribed medications were collected from population-wide registries to create the Uppsala-Örebro PSA cohort (UPSAC). The cohort was divided into repeat and single PSA testers. The background population used for comparison consisted of men 40 years or older, living in the Uppsala-Örebro region during this time period. RESULTS: Of the adult male population in the region, 18.1% had undergone PSA testing. Among men over 85 years old 21% where PSA tested. In our cohort, 62.1% were repeat PSA testers. Of men with a PSA level ≤1µg/l 53.8% had undergone repeat testing. Prostate cancer was found in 2.7% and 4.8% of the repeat and single testers, respectively. CONCLUSION: Every fifth man in the male background population was PSA tested. Repeated PSA testing was common despite low PSA values. As repeated PSA testing was common, especially among older men who will not be included in organized testing, special measures to change the testing patterns in this group may be required.

Determinants for choosing and adhering to active surveillance for localised prostate cancer: a nationwide population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Knowledge about factors influencing choice of and adherence to active surveillance (AS) for prostate cancer (PC) is scarce. We aim to identify which factors most affected choosing and adhering to AS and to quantify their relative importance. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: In 2015, we sent a questionnaire to all Swedish men aged ≤70 years registered in the National Prostate Cancer Register of Sweden who were diagnosed in 2008 with low-risk PC and had undergone prostatectomy, radiotherapy or started on AS. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Logistic regression was used to calculate ORs with 95% CIs for factors potentially affecting choice and adherence to AS. RESULTS: 1288 out of 1720 men (75%) responded, 451 (35%) chose AS and 837 (65%) underwent curative treatment. Of those starting on AS, 238 (53%) diverted to treatment within 7 years. Most men (83%) choose AS because 'My doctor recommended AS'. Factors associated with choosing AS over treatment were older age (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.54), a Charlson Comorbidity Index >2 (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.13), being unaccompanied when notified of the cancer diagnosis (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.89). Men with a higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA) at the time of diagnosis were less likely to adhere to AS (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.63). The reason for having treatment after initial AS was 'the PSA level was rising' in 55% and biopsy findings in 36%. CONCLUSIONS: A doctor's recommendation strongly affects which treatment is chosen for men with low-risk PC. Rising PSA values were the main factor for initiating treatment for men on AS. These findings need be considered by healthcare providers who wish to increase the uptake of and adherence to AS.

Satisfaction with Care Among Men with Localised Prostate Cancer: A Nationwide Population-based Study.

BACKGROUND: Information about how men with prostate cancer (PC) experience their medical care and factors associated with their overall satisfaction with care (OSC) is limited. OBJECTIVE: To investigate OSC and factors associated with OSC among men with low-risk PC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Men registered in the National Prostate Cancer Register of Sweden as diagnosed in 2008 with low-risk PC at the age of ≤70 yr who had undergone radical prostatectomy (RP), radiotherapy (RT), or started on active surveillance (AS) were invited in 2015 to participate in this nationwide population-based survey (n=1720). OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: OSC data were analysed using ordinal logistic regression. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for comparisons between the highest and lowest possible response categories. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 1288 men (74.9%) responded. High OSC was reported by 958 (74.4%). Factors associated with high OSC were high participation in decision-making (OR 4.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.61-6.69), receiving more information (OR 11.1, 95% CI 7.97-15.6), high-quality information (OR 7.85, 95% CI 5.46-11.3), access to a nurse navigator (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.44-2.26), and better functional outcomes (defined as 25 points higher on the EPIC-26 questionnaire; OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.21-1.48). OSC was not affected by whether a doctor or specialist nurse conducted follow-up (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.66-1.07). These findings were similar across treatment groups. Men who had undergone RP or RT reported high OSC more often than men on AS (78.2% vs 84.0% vs 72.6%), high participation in decision-making (70.5% vs 64.5% vs 49.2%), and having received more information (40.5% vs 45.8% vs 28.6%), and were less likely to believe they would die from PC (3.8% vs 3.9% vs 8.0%). Limitations include the nonrandomised retrospective design and potential recall bias. CONCLUSIONS: Information and participation in decision-making, as well as access to a nurse navigator, are key factors for OSC, regardless of treatment. Men on AS need more information about their treatment and need to participate more in decision-making. OSC was as high among men who had nurse-led follow-up as among men who had doctor-led follow-up. PATIENT SUMMARY: Information about how men with low-risk prostate cancer experience their medical care is limited. In this nationwide population-based study we found that information and participation in decision-making as well as access to a nurse navigator are key factors for satisfaction regardless of treatment. Men who are being closely watched for prostate cancer without immediate curative treatment need more information than they now receive and need to participate more in decision-making than they currently do.