[Causes of death among prostate cancer patients of different ages]

To date, there is no unified approach to evaluating and treating patients with suspected prostate cancer taking into account their age and comorbidities. That was the rationale for conducting this study.

To assess the clinical course of prostate cancer in men of all ages with comorbidities.

The study included 408 patients aged 50 to 92 years (mean age 74.3 years) with histologically verified prostate cancer. 30 (7.4%) patients had stage T1 disease, 273 (66.9%) - T2, 91 (22.3%) - T3 and 14 (3.4%) - T4. The maximum follow-up was 22 years, the minimum one - 6 months (on average 15.4 years).

During the follow-up 159 patients died (39%), 51 of them (32%) of prostate cancer, 108 (68%) - from other diseases. Among the latter the causes of death were cancer (20.4%), cardiovascular and bronchopulmonary diseases (79.6%). Cancer-specific survival rate was 41.4 +/-12,4%, the survival rate for other diseases 23.4 +/-10,6% (p<0.05).

We need a differentiated approach to selecting treatment for patients with prostate cancer, especially of old age, including the option for active surveillance of patients with clinically insignificant prostate cancer.