[Survival of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer and monitored in primary care]

To study survival of patients with prostate cancer and its relationship with diagnostic delay.

Retrospective cohort study.

Six rural primary care practices.

All patients diagnosed with prostate cancer and monitored in these practices between 1992 and 2005.

Patient age at definite diagnosis, dates of definite and suspected diagnosis, diagnostic method, treatment strategy, and date of death, if it occurred, were determined. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate survival probability; and Cox's regression, to examine prognostic factors.

A total of 84 patients were identified. Mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 75.8 (8.6) years. Median delay until definite diagnosis was 31 days. The diagnosis was carried out through biopsy in 38 cases (45.2%). Eighteen patients were given possibly curative treatment (21.4%) and 66 patients (78.6%) received palliative treatment. Mean age of the deceased was 82.6 (9.1) years. Of 49 patients who died by the end of the study, 22 (44.9%) died from prostate cancer. Mean survival was 72.1 months (SE, 6.1). The probability of overall survival 10 years after diagnosis was 33.3%, and specific survival was 57.5%. There were no differences in survival due to delay in definite diagnosis.

Survival after diagnosis of prostate cancer can be considered high. There is no relationship between survival and delay in definite diagnosis in patients with prostate cancer.