title: A surveillance, epidemiology, and end results registry analysis of prostate cancer modality time trends by age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry to analyze age-specific time trends in the use of radiotherapy (RT) (external beam radiotherapy [EBRT], brachytherapy [brachy], and combination therapy [combo]) as first-line treatment for prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 820,649 prostate cancer patients in the SEER public-use registry (1973-2004) with diagnosis year, treatment, and age information available were identified. Modality use time-trend curves were plotted for patients 45 to 85+ years of age, grouped in 5-year intervals. A nonparametric (Spearman) test was used to assess the correlation between diagnosis year and (a) percentage use of RT and (b) relative percentage use of EBRT, brachy, and combo therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the study period from 1973 to 2004, RT use increased in patients ≥65 years of age, but has remained stable in patients <65 years of age. All age groups experienced a similar relative rise in the use of brachy and combo therapy, with brachy use surpassing combo use in approximately year 2000.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trends in treatment choice for early prostate cancer generally reflect treatment advances, but do not appear to be uniform among all age groups. The SEER database is a valuable asset for analyzing these trends and can be used to investigate age-specific treatment patterns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Breanne E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Terakedis
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Stanley L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Liauw
authors.forename: Peter A S
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Johnstone
authors.forename: Ashesh B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Jani
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018426:SEER Program; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen