Use of hormonal therapy in men with metastatic prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Bilateral orchiectomy or luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonists represent the standard of care for metastatic prostate cancer. In this population based study we assessed the use rates of these therapies in men who died of prostate cancer.


METHODS
A total of 9,110 men 65 years or older who died of prostate cancer in 1991 to 2000 were identified through the population based Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results, and Medicare linked database to determine hormonal therapy use rates. A modified Poisson regression model was used to estimate the adjusted effects of various factors associated with hormone use.


RESULTS
Approximately 38% of black and 25% of white men did not receive hormonal therapy before dying of prostate cancer. After adjusting for cancer status at diagnosis and other potential confounding factors black race and residence in low income areas were associated with lower hormonal therapy use (relative risk 0.73, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.80 and 0.91, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.98, respectively). Hormonal therapy use was most comprehensive in the Northeast.


CONCLUSIONS
A substantial number of men who die as a consequence of prostate cancer never receive hormonal therapy. The use of hormonal therapy varies significantly. Further studies are warranted to determine factors that may be associated with the incomplete use of hormonal therapy for metastatic prostate cancer.
Lu-Yao
Grace
G
Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
Moore
Dirk F
DF
Oleynick
John
J
Dipaola
Robert S
RS
Yao
Siu-Long
SL
D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D018426:SEER Program
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal