The association between age and long-term quality of life after curative treatment for prostate cancer: a cross-sectional study

Authors

  • Reidun Sletten The Research Center for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway; Department of Oncology and Palliative Care, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Gjøvik/Lillehammer, Norway; Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1192-2376
  • Ola Berger Christiansen The Research Center for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway; Department of Urology, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Hamar, Norway
  • Line Merethe Oldervoll Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Centre for Crisis Psychology, Faculty of Psychology University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
  • Lennart Åstrøm Section of Clinical and Experimental Oncology, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
  • Håvard Kjesbu Skjellegrind HUNT Research Centre, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU, Levanger, Norway; Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Hospital Trust, Levanger, Norway
  • Jūratė Šaltytė Benth The Research Center for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Campus Ahus, University of Oslo, Norway; Health Services Research Unit, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
  • Øyvind Kirkevold The Research Center for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway; Faculty of Health, Care and Nursing, NTNU Gjøvik, Gjøvik, Norway; The Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health, Tønsberg, Norway
  • Sverre Bergh The Research Center for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway; The Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health, Tønsberg, Norway
  • Bjørn Henning Grønberg Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Oncology, St.Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
  • Siri Rostoft Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Geriatric Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
  • Asta Bye Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
  • Paul Jarle Mork Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
  • Marit Slaaen The Research Center for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2340/sju.v59.18616

Keywords:

prostate cancer, radical treatment, quality of life, older patients

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to investigate the associations between age at radical prostate cancer treatment and long-term global quality of life (QoL), physical function (PF), and treatment-related side effects.

Material and Methods: This single-center, cross-sectional study included men treated for localized prostate cancer with robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in 2014–2018. Global QoL and PF were assessed by the European Organisation of Research and Treatment in Cancer Quality of life Questionnaire-C30 (QLQ-C30), side effects by the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC-26). Adjusted linear regression models were estimated to assess associations between age (continuous variable) at treatment and outcomes. QLQ-C30 scores were compared to normative data after dividing the cohort in two groups, <70 years and ≥70 years at treatment.

Results: Of 654 men included, 516 (79%) had undergone RARP, and 138 (21%) had undergone EBRT combined with androgen deprivation therapy for 93%. Mean time since treatment was 57 months. Median age at treatment was 68 (min–max 44–84) years. We found no statistically significant independent association between age at treatment and global QoL, PF or side effects, except for sexual function (regression coefficient [RC] −0.77; p < 0.001) and hormonal/vitality (RC 0.30; p = 0.006) function. Mean QLQ-C30 scores were slightly poorer than age-adjusted normative scores, for men <70 years (n = 411) as well as for men ≥70 years (n = 243) at treatment, but the differences were not beyond clinical significance.

Conclusions: In this cohort of prostate cancer survivors, age at treatment had little impact on long-term QoL and function. Due to the cross-sectional design, short term impact or variation over time cannot be ruled out.

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Author Biographies

Line Merethe Oldervoll, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Centre for Crisis Psychology, Faculty of Psychology University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

More than one affiliation, please include:

Centre for Crisis Psychology, Faculty of Psychology University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

Håvard Kjesbu Skjellegrind, HUNT Research Centre, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU, Levanger, Norway; Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Hospital Trust, Levanger, Norway

More than one affiliation, please include: 

Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Hospital Trust, Levanger, Norway

Jūratė Šaltytė Benth, The Research Center for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Campus Ahus, University of Oslo, Norway; Health Services Research Unit, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway

More than one affiliation, please include: 

Institute of Clinical Medicine, Campus Ahus, University of Oslo, Norway

and:

Health Services Research Unit, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway

Øyvind Kirkevold, The Research Center for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway; Faculty of Health, Care and Nursing, NTNU Gjøvik, Gjøvik, Norway; The Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health, Tønsberg, Norway

More than one affiliation, please include: 

Faculty of Health, Care and Nursing, NTNU Gjøvik, Gjøvik, Norway

and:

The Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health, Tønsberg, Norway

Sverre Bergh, The Research Center for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway; The Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health, Tønsberg, Norway

More than one affiliation, please include:

The Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health, Tønsberg, Norway

Bjørn Henning Grønberg, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Oncology, St.Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

More than one affiliation, please include: 

Department of Oncology, St.Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

Siri Rostoft, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Geriatric Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

More than one affiliation, please include: 

Department of Geriatric Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

Marit Slaaen, The Research Center for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

More than one affiliation, please include: 

Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

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Published

2024-02-20

How to Cite

Sletten, R., Berger Christiansen, O., Oldervoll, L. M., Åstrøm, L., Kjesbu Skjellegrind, H., Šaltytė Benth, J., … Slaaen, M. (2024). The association between age and long-term quality of life after curative treatment for prostate cancer: a cross-sectional study. Scandinavian Journal of Urology, 59, 31–38. https://doi.org/10.2340/sju.v59.18616

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Original research article

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