Unplanned hospitalization among advanced prostate cancer patients by diabetes status: a population-based study

Older adults with advanced prostate cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus are underrepresented in trials of androgen receptor pathway inhibitors. This study examined changes in unplanned hospitalization rates in patients receiving androgen receptor pathway inhibitors by type 2 diabetes mellitus status and assessed if unplanned hospitalization varies according to androgen receptor pathway inhibitors.

This population-based study of advanced prostate cancer patients aged older than 66 years used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data. Prepost androgen receptor pathway inhibitor initiation changes and androgen receptor pathway inhibitor differences in unplanned hospitalization rates were estimated by adjusted incidence rate ratio with considerations for interactions between period, androgen receptor pathway inhibitor, and type 2 diabetes mellitus status. Linear contrasts were used to estimate and test conditional incidence rate ratios. Tests were 2-sided, and a P value less than .05 was considered statistically significant.

The study included 12 240 patients: 3160 (25.8%) with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 7191 (58.8%) received abiraterone acetate with prednisone, and 5049 (41.2%) received enzalutamide. Unplanned hospitalization rates increased after androgen receptor pathway inhibitor initiation by 65% among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complications (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 1.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.37 to 1.98) and 109% in nondiabetics (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.94 to 2.26). Among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without complications, the increase in unplanned hospitalization rates depended on the androgen receptor pathway inhibitor initiated: 103% after abiraterone acetate with prednisone (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.70 to 2.43) and 47% after enzalutamide (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.21 to 1.80) and a 38% greater increase in unplanned hospitalization rates after abiraterone acetate with prednisone than enzalutamide (ratio of abiraterone acetate with prednisone adjusted incidence rate ratio divided by enzalutamide adjusted incidence rate ratio = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.06 to 1.80).

All patients had higher unplanned hospitalization rates after androgen receptor pathway inhibitor. Our findings highlight the importance of using real-world data to better understand the interplay between preexisting health conditions and treatment outcomes, a critical step toward precision medicine.