Radical prostatectomy or watchful waiting in early prostate cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Radical prostatectomy reduces mortality among men with localized prostate cancer; however, important questions regarding long-term benefit remain.

Methods

Between 1989 and 1999, we randomly assigned 695 men with early prostate cancer to watchful waiting or radical prostatectomy and followed them through the end of 2012. The primary end points in the Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group Study Number 4 (SPCG-4) were death from any cause, death from prostate cancer, and the risk of metastases. Secondary end points included the initiation of androgen-deprivation therapy.

Results

During 23.2 years of follow-up, 200 of 347 men in the surgery group and 247 of the 348 men in the watchful-waiting group died. Of the deaths, 63 in the surgery group and 99 in the watchfu

SUBMITTER: Bill-Axelson A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4118145 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature