Managing locally advanced prostate cancer: a urologist's and a patient's perspective

A 60-year-old man presented to his general practitioner with prostatic symptoms and high blood pressure. Based upon a prostate-specific antigen level of 44 ng/ml and further investigations (digital rectal examination, transrectal ultrasound-guided needle biopsy, and magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and bone scans), the patient was diagnosed with locally advanced (cT3, N0, M0) prostate cancer. Here, the urologist and the patient describe treatment from their respective viewpoints. Following discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the various therapeutic options, radiotherapy plus hormonal therapy (bicalutamide 150 mg) was chosen as the approach that best suited the patient's lifestyle. In this review, the patient and the urologist consider the impact of the chosen treatment in terms of efficacy, tolerability and quality of life.