The National Cancer Data Base report on prostate cancer. American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and the American Cancer Society.
BACKGROUND
Previous Commission on Cancer data from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) examined time trends in disease stage, treatment patterns, and survival for patients with selected cancers. The most current (1992) data for prostate cancer are described in this Communication.


METHODS
Calls for data yielded a total of 52,597 prostate cancer reports for 1986/1987 and 101,903 for 1992 from hospital cancer registries across the United States.


RESULTS
Data were received for 154,500 patients with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is detected increasingly at localized stages and among younger men. African American men have a continuing pattern of more advanced disease at diagnosis. Selection of prostatectomy as the primary treatment has increased, and its use varies by region and several patient and hospital characteristics. Selection of radiation treatment has increased to a lesser degree. The 5-year survival for patients diagnosed in 1986/1987 was 60%. Outcomes varied by stage, age, and race.


CONCLUSIONS
The NCDB provides valuable information concerning patterns and trends in prostate cancer care in the United States. The data show that prostate cancer detection and treatment have changed markedly in recent years. These changes appear to be related to the increased use of early detection measures. The improvements in prostate cancer detection and trends in treatment have not affected the population evenly, with African American men having more advanced disease and lower survival. Continued monitoring of these important trends is needed.
Mettlin
C J
CJ
Commission on Cancer, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
Murphy
G P
GP
McGinnis
L S
LS
Menck
H R
HR
D000368:Aged; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014481:United States