II. Protocol: Decision making for Prostate Cancer Management based on risk and Life Expectancy
- Estimate Life Expectancy
- Determine cancer risk based on PSA, Prostate Cancer Staging and Prostate Cancer grading
- Decide on management based on whether expected onset of Prostate Cancer symptoms occurs within Life Expectancy
- Very low risk Prostate Cancer
- CALE <10 years: Observation
- CALE 10-20 years: Active Surveillance of Prostate Cancer
- CALE >20 years
- Consider Prostatectomy, Radiotherapy or brachytherapy
- Consider Active Surveillance of Prostate Cancer
- Low risk Prostate Cancer
- CALE <10 years: Observation
- CALE >10 years: Consider Prostatectomy, Radiotherapy or brachytherapy
- Intermediate risk Prostate Cancer
- CALE <10 years: Consider Prostatectomy or Radiotherapy (or brachytherapy, hormonal therapy)
- CALE >10 years: Prostatectomy or Radiotherapy (or brachytherapy, hormonal therapy for 4-6 months)
- High risk Prostate Cancer (with any CALE)
- Prostatectomy or Radiotherapy (or brachytherapy, hormonal therapy for 2-3 years)
- Very low risk Prostate Cancer
III. Management: Localized Prostate Cancer (Stages A to C)
- Surgical Management
- Indications
- Well-differentiated tumor (Gleason Score 2-4)
- Patient under age 65 years
- Better outcomes than with conservative therapy
- Bill-Axelson (2005) N Engl J Med 352:1977-84 [PubMed]
- Procedures
- Radical Prostatectomy
- Pelvic Lymph Node biopsy (Rule out Stage D)
- Indicated for Prostate Cancer Stage C
- Indications
-
Prostate Radiotherapy
- Procedures
- External Beam Prostate Radiotherapy
- Prostate Seed Implant Radiotherapy (Brachytherapy)
- Consider Transurethral resection of Prostate
- Better quality of life than with Prostatectomy
- Lower Incidence of Sexual Dysfunction and Urinary Incontinence post-procedure
- Potosky (2004) J Natl Cancer Inst 96:1358-67 [PubMed]
- Procedures
- Conservative therapy (no curative treatment)
- See Active Surveillance of Prostate Cancer
- Indications (Curative treatment with risk exceeding benefit)
- Well-differentiated tumor (Gleason Score 2-4)
- Gleason Score 5-6 if Life Expectancy less than 10 years
- Elderly patients with serious comorbities
- Contraindications (Curative treatment preferred)
- Poorly differentiated tumor (Gleason Score 7-10)
- Gleason Score 5-6 if Life Expectancy greater than 10 years
- Younger patients who are otherwise healthy
- References
IV. Management: Endocrine Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer (Stage D)
- Background
- Endocrine agents primarily lower Testosterone Levels
- Adverse effects
- Luteinizing or Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Agonist (LHRH or GNRH)
- Mechanism: Suppress Testosterone
- Goserelin acetate (Zoladex)
- Leuprolide acetate (Lupron)
- Risk of Prolonged QT
-
GnRH Antagonists
- Degarelix (Firmagon)
- Risk of Prolonged QT
- Degarelix (Firmagon)
- Antiandrogens
- Flutamide (Eulexin)
- May increase Warfarin activity and raise INR
- Enzalutamide (Xtandi)
- Bicalutamide (Casodex)
- Abiraterone acetate (Zytiga)
- Risk of Hypertension, Hypokalemia
- Apalutamide (Erleada)
- May decrease Warfarin activity and lower INR
- Flutamide (Eulexin)
- Other Testosterone lowering agents and procedures
- Bilateral Orchiectomy
- Diethylstilbesterol (DES) 1 to 3 mg daily
- References
- (2022) Presc Lett 29(1): 5
V. Management: Palliative Care for Bone Metastases (Spinal Metastasis)
- Adequate Narcotic Analgesics
- Bisphosphonates (e.g. Fosamax)
- Local radiation
- Strontium 89 Chloride local therapy
- Endocrine therapy as above
-
Dexamethasone (Decadron)
- Bolus: 16 mg IV
- First 3 days: 4 mg IV q6 hours
- Taper over 14 days
- References
- Eisenberger in Walsh (1998) Campbell Urology, p. 2654
VI. Monitoring
VII. References
- Brawley (2018) Am Fam Physician 97(12): 798-805 [PubMed]
- Mohan (2011) Am Fam Physician 84(4): 413-20 [PubMed]
- Friedman (1996) Postgrad Med 100(3): 125-36 [PubMed]
- Middleton (1996) CA Cancer J Clin 46(4):249-53 [PubMed]
- Naitoh (1998) Am Fam Physician 57(7):1531-9 [PubMed]
- Porter (1995) CA Cancer J Clin 45(3):165-78 [PubMed]
- Taub (1996) Postgrad Med 100(3): 139-54 [PubMed]
- Williams (1996) Postgrad Med 100(3): 105-20 [PubMed]