[Prostate cancer in the Community of Madrid in the year 2000. IV. Treatment]

To know the therapeutic options used in patients diagnosed with prostate cancer in the Autonomous Community of Madrid in 2000.

The study was conducted on 1,745 patients referred by hospitals taking part in the study. Data on treatment used was available for 1,104 (63%) patients. Treatment modality was correlated to clinical stage and patient age.

Most frequent choice was hormone therapy (35%) followed by radical prostatectomy (34%) and radiotherapy (25%). Prostatectomy was most commonly used in patients with localised (42.3%) disease while hormone therapy was preferred for locally advanced (45.6%) or disseminated (94%) disease. There are significant differences in therapeutic indications between the various Health areas participating in the survey. Median age of patients with localised and locally advanced disease was lower in patients managed with prostatectomy (65 and 64 years, respectively) than in those managed with radiotherapy (70 and 69 years, respectively).

The therapeutic modality indicated by urologists in the Madrid Autonomous Community for managing patients with prostate cancer generally meets with literature recommendations.