|Articles|March 31, 2016

Prostate Ca: Site of metastases impacts prognosis

Findings from a recent study emphasize the need for imaging with CT or MRI and bone scan to determine the pattern of spread in men with advanced prostate cancer.

In a study of 8,820 men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), researchers found the prognosis differs substantially based on where the cancer has spread.

Dr. ArmstrongSpread to the liver is associated with shorter survival than lung and bone spread, and patients with lymph node metastases only have the best overall survival, according to co-author Andrew Armstrong MD, ScM, of Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC.

“This study may help in risk stratification and decision making around the need for chemotherapy or future clinical trials,” Dr. Armstrong told Urology Times.

Prior reports suggesting the site of metastasis is an important predictor of overall survival of men with metastatic prostate cancer were based on a limited number of patients. This new study is based on a substantial sample of men who received docetaxel (Taxotere) chemotherapy in nine phase III trials, according to the study’s abstract.

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The authors categorized the sites of metastases as lymph node only, bone with or without lymph node (with no visceral metastases), any lung metastases (but no liver), and any liver metastases.

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