Prognostic significance of bone metastases in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.
BACKGROUND
The distribution of bone metastases on a bone scan has not been duly considered when assessing the prognosis of metastatic prostate cancer.


METHODS
The medical records of 76 patients with newly diagnosed, untreated metastatic prostate cancer were reviewed. According to the distribution of bone metastases on the initial bone scan, we divided the patients into three groups: Group I (having bone metastases exclusively within the pelvis and the lumbar spine), Group II (having bone metastases exclusively outside these bones), and Group III (having bone metastases in both areas).


RESULTS
Among the responders to androgen deprivation, those in Group I survived significantly longer than did those in Groups II or III. Because the extent of the disease and the distribution of histologic differentiation in Groups I and II were similar, the results indicate that the presence of bone metastases outside the pelvis and the lumbar spine is predictive of short survival time. This prediction was not possible when the extent of disease (EOD) grading system was used.


CONCLUSIONS
The distribution of bone metastases on the initial bone scan should be considered as a variable for the prognostic stratification of patients with metastatic prostate cancer.
Yamashita
K
K
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Center for Adult Diseases, Osaka, Japan.
Denno
K
K
Ueda
T
T
Komatsubara
Y
Y
Kotake
T
T
Usami
M
M
Maeda
O
O
Nakano
S
S
Hasegawa
Y
Y
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009919:Orchiectomy; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D015996:Survival Rate
D000726:Androgen Antagonists