[Morbidity among patients with clinically localized prostatic cancer. A registry-based case-control study].
BACKGROUND
Until recently, expectant management of localised prostate cancer was the routine strategy in Denmark.


METHODS
In a historical, prospective, case-control study, morbidity in 4744 patients, aged 74 years or younger, with newly diagnosed clinically localised prostate cancer, was compared to that in an age-matched background population.


RESULTS
Patients with clinically localised prostate cancer were found to have significant excess morbidity compared to the background population. Patients were admitted 6.7 times more often than the controls in the year prostate cancer was diagnosed and 2.7 times more often in the nine years following the diagnosis. When adjusted for prostate cancer-related admissions, morbidity approximates unity. Costs associated with the hospital care of patients with prostate cancer significantly exceeded the costs in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The study demonstrates that patients with newly diagnosed, clinically localised prostate cancer have a significant morbidity associated to their primary malignancy. Further, these patients were found to have a significant excess morbidity compared to age-matched controls. The possibility of reducing morbidity and associated costs is discussed.
Brasso
K
K
H:S Rigshospitalet, urologisk afdeling D, abdominalcentret, Kraeftens Bekaempelse, institut for epidemiologisk kraeftforskning.
Friis
S
S
Juel
K
K
Jørgensen
T
T
Iversen
P
P
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003718:Denmark; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000191:economics / Q000473:pathology