[Prognostic factor for prostate cancer. Gunma Urological Oncology Study Group]

The study of prognostic factors in patients with prostate cancer (Pca) may be of value in understanding the natural history of the disease and may also assist in planning and analyzing the results of clinical trials. Moreover some information through this study would be beneficial to assessing the prognosis and decision of better therapy form of individual patients. The significance of items studied was evaluated from the two view points, survival rate and Pca death rate. Stage, pathological differentiation and acid phosphatase were significantly related to them, in the category grade depending manner. Past history and complication, and age were also significantly related to them but higher category grade as a survival factor showed lower Pca death rates. ESR, gait disturbance and hematuria were related to only survival rate. Any significant relationship was not observed in serum testosterone, voiding disturbance and cancer-pain. Prognostic factors should be clinically used through the well understanding of each characteristics. This paper also showed that statistical significance not always provide a wide difference between categories compared.