Factors influencing treatment decisions in patients with low risk prostate cancer referred to a brachytherapy clinic.
OBJECTIVE
The present study aimed to analyze factors influencing treatment decisions in patients diagnosed with low risk prostate cancer who were referred to a brachytherapy clinic and had to choose from four treatment options: expectant management (watchful waiting), radical prostatectomy, external beam radiation therapy, and permanent seed brachytherapy.


METHODS
We analyzed factors that influenced the treatment decisions of 110 consecutive patients with low risk prostate cancer who were referred to a brachytherapy clinic in a hospital in Montreal, Canada. These factors included patient age, marital status, and profession, as well as referral source (a urologist or a radiation oncologist), and distance and driving time from the patient's home to the medical center. Cost was not a factor as the procedure is covered under the Canadian healthcare system.


RESULTS
Of the 110 patients, 53 patients (48.2%) chose permanent seed brachytherapy, 33 patients (31.8%) chose expectant management, 12 patients (10.9%) chose external beam radiation therapy, and 10 patients (9.1%) chose radical prostatectomy. Patients who chose brachytherapy were significantly younger than those who chose external beam radiation therapy (p = 0.011). Patients living further away from the hospital than the median distance of 19.85 miles were more likely to choose brachytherapy than expectant management (p = 0.017).
Taussky
Daniel
D
Department of Radiation, University of Montreal Medical Center (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Liu
Aihua
A
Abrahamowicz
Michal
M
Léger-Bélanger
Eve
E
Bahary
Jean-Paul
JP
Beauchemin
Marie-Claude
MC
Nguyen
Thu Van
TV
Donath
David
D
Saad
Fred
F
D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors