Press Release: Urologist Plays Key Role in Determining Use of Hormone Therapy in Prostate Cancer

Extract

The urologist a patient sees may be a more important factor than the tumor characteristics or the patient's other characteristics in determining the use of hormonal therapy for prostate cancer, a new study reports in the June 21 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Androgen deprivation therapy, which blocks steroid hormones called androgens, is used in around 50% of prostate cancer patients. It is recommended for locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer. Because the therapy is expensive and potentially toxic, it is important to understand the factors responsible for its use.

Vahakn B. Shahinian, M.D., from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and colleagues analyzed data from 61,717 men in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)–Medicare database who were diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 65 years or older and from their 1,802 urologists. The scientists assessed the pattern of androgen therapy use within 6 months of diagnosis to determine the part attributable to the urologist versus patient and tumor characteristics.