title: Effect of age on biochemical disease-free outcome in patients with T1-T3 prostate cancer treated with definitive radiotherapy in an equal-access health care system: a radiation oncology report of the Department of Defense Center for Prostate Disease Research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has traditionally been a common perception that young age is a negative prognostic factor in prostate cancer (CaP). Furthermore, many urologists believe that younger patients are better suited to surgery rather than radiotherapy (RT) because of this perception. However, the data on the effect of age on outcome in patients with CaP are unclear. The records of the Department of Defense Center for Prostate Disease Research were queried for the biochemical disease-free results of patients after definitive RT and analyzed by age.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 1018 patients with T1-T3 CaP treated with definitive RT between 1988 and 2000 were reviewed. The records of patients receiving adjuvant hormonal therapy or adjuvant or salvage RT postoperatively were excluded. Biochemical failure was calculated by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology criteria. The median potential follow-up was 85.3 months as of December 31, 2001.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age did not affect biochemical disease-free survival significantly when considered as <60 vs. >/=60 years (p = 0.646), by decade (p = 0.329), or as a continuous variable (correlation coefficient r = 0.017, regression slope = 0.007, with p = 0.588 and R(2) < 0.001). Using multiple regression analysis, age was still not significant (p = 0.408). Other variables analyzed were pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level (p < 0.001), Gleason sum (p = 0.023), stage (p = 0.828), and RT dose (p = 0.033).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age and biochemical disease-free survival after RT for CaP are not related. Age may not be a valid factor in choosing between primary treatment options for CaP.
authors.affiliation: Investigation Department, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, CA 92134, USA. pajohnstone@nmcsd.med.navy.mil
authors.forename: Peter A S
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Johnstone
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Riffenburgh
authors.forename: Judd W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Moul
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: McLeod
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: Douglas D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kusuda
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lance
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Donahue
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Beat
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soderdahl
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Amling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen