Do patients with localized prostate cancer treatment really want more aggressive treatment?
OBJECTIVE
Examine whether patients with prostate cancer choose the more aggressive of two radiotherapeutic options, whether this choice is reasoned, and what the determinants of the choice are.


METHODS
One hundred fifty patients with primary prostate cancer (T(1-3)N(0)M(0)) were informed by means of a decision aid of two treatment options: radiotherapy with 70 Gy versus 74 Gy. The latter treatment is associated with more cure and more toxicity. The patients were asked whether they wanted to choose, and if so which treatment they preferred. They also assigned importance weights to the probability of various outcomes, such as survival, cure and adverse effects. Patients who wanted to choose their own treatment (n = 119) are described here.


RESULTS
The majority of these patients (75%) chose the lower radiation dose. Their choice was highly consistent (P < or = .001), with the importance weights assigned to the probability of survival, cure (odds ratio [OR] = 6.7 and 6.9) and late GI and genitourinary adverse effects (OR = 0.1 and 0.2). The lower dose was chosen more often by the older patients, low-risk patients, patients without hormone treatment, and patients with a low anxiety or depression score.


CONCLUSIONS
Most patients with localized prostate cancer prefer the lower radiation dose. Our findings indicate that many patients attach more weight to specific quality-of-life aspects (eg, GI toxicity) than to improving survival. Treatment preferences of patients with localized prostate cancer can and should be involved in radiotherapy decision making.
van Tol-Geerdink
Julia J
JJ
Department of Radiation Oncology (874), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. J.vanTol@rther.umcn.nl
Stalmeier
Peep F M
PF
van Lin
Emile N J T
EN
Schimmel
Eric C
EC
Huizenga
Henk
H
van Daal
Wim A J
WA
Leer
Jan-Willem
JW
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety; D003657:Decision Making; D003863:Depression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011874:Radiometry; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome