Hospital readmissions for patients with prostate cancer are higher after radiotherapy than after prostatectomy

To compare hospital readmissions, biochemical recurrence rates, incidence of metastasis, and cancer-specific and overall mortality for prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy vs. radical prostatectomy. The secondary outcome was to identify patient and disease characteristics affecting physician's choice of either therapy.

A total of 297 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2008 and 2014 were identified from a single academic center's cancer database. Clinical information including age, ethnicity, comorbidities, prostate-specific antigen, Gleason score, stage, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) risk group, biochemical recurrence, hospital readmissions, and survival outcomes were gathered and analyzed from ambulatory medical records until 2018.

Patients selected for radiotherapy were older and had more comorbidities and NCCN high-risk disease. Biochemical recurrence was higher after radical prostatectomy for locally advanced disease, 59.3% vs. 20.0% (p<0.001), favoring radiotherapy. Hospital readmission was higher for patients with locally advanced disease undergoing radiotherapy, 48.6% vs. 18.5% (p=0.002), and 35.2% vs. 19.7% (p=0.044) for those with localized disease, with most of these readmissions occurring 24 months after the initial therapy. Radiation proctitis and colitis were the most common complications after radiotherapy and accounted for 46.3% of readmissions.

Selection of patients for radiotherapy instead of surgery was influenced by age, significant comorbidities, and NCCN high-risk disease. The incidence of treatment- or cancer-related hospital readmissions was significantly higher for patients undergoing radiotherapy compared with radical prostatectomy, especially for those with locally advanced prostate cancer. This information may be useful in guiding a patient's choice of therapy.