SLU Researcher Reports Improvements in Survival Rates in Patients with Metastatic Prostate Cancer
ST. LOUIS — Research from Saint Louis University School of Medicine finds improvements in survival in both veterans and men across the country over the last 20 years in metastatic prostate cancer, which correlates with new hormonal treatments.
Martin Schoen, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and a member of the Saint Louis University AHEAD Institute, quantified trends in overall survival among men newly diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer and has revealed his findings in a recent research letter in JAMA Network Open.
Martin Schoen, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and a member of the Saint Louis University AHEAD Institute. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Metastatic prostate cancer accounts for 5–10% of all prostate cancer diagnoses, but it is responsible for nearly 50% of prostate cancer-related deaths. Since 2015, the prognosis of metastatic prostate cancer has improved with the introduction of new hormonal treatment and chemotherapy combined with androgen deprivation therapy in the first-line setting.
“In the last 10 years, several new therapies have been created that have made a dramatic impact in clinical trials,” said Schoen, lead author of the study. “We wanted to study this in the general population to assess whether these breakthroughs were making its way to them.”
The study reviewed two national datasets to identify the health outcomes of men with prostate cancer, one of the most common cancers in veterans. The cross-sectional retrospective study included male patients first diagnosed with prostate cancer between the years 2000-2019. Schoen and his team analyzed datasets of 58,859 men from SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) and 14,904 men from the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry (VACCR).
The SEER Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) collects and publishes cancer incidence and survival data from population-based cancer registries covering about 48% of the U.S. population. The VACCR collects cancer diagnosis and treatment information from the 132 VA Medical Centers that treat veterans with cancer.
The study focused on the survival of men in different age groups. Schoen and the research team found that the median overall survival in patients younger than 70 significantly improved in the U.S. population from 2000 to 2019. Still, there was little change in men over 70 during the same period.
The study also found that overall survival rates were similar in SEER and VHA. Schoen, a Navy veteran who works as a hematologist/oncologist at St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, said he was pleased the data showed that in prostate cancer care, veteran care is as good or better than the treatment men receive in the general community.
The study notes that while new treatments are available and increased overall survival has been observed in clinical trials, researchers cannot assume these developments improve disease management in clinical practice. The overall survival of men with metastatic prostate cancer is lower in clinical practice than in clinical trials, as patients are typically older with more health conditions.
Researchers say further study is needed as the study is limited by lack of data on men with other medical problems, such as heart disease or diabetes.
This study was supported by the Prostate Cancer Foundation Igor Tulchinsky, Robert Taubman Sandler – PCF Valor Young Investigator Award, and Department of Defense grant No. W81XWH-22-1-0602.
Additional authors include Bruce Montgomery, M.D., VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and University of Washington School of Medicine; Lukas Owens, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Saira Khan, Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine; Kristen Sanfilippo, M.D., Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine; and Ruth B. Etzioni, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and University of Washington School of Medicine.
Latest Newslink
- Two SLU Faculty Members Receive Emerson's Excellence in Teaching AwardTwo Saint Louis University faculty members received Emerson's 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award. Jennifer Buehler, Ph.D. (Education) and Christina Garcia, Ph.D. (Spanish) were both recognized for their teaching prowess. The Emerson Excellence in Teaching Awards Program recognizes educators in the St. Louis metropolitan area annually for their leadership in and passion for teaching, their contributions to student learning, and their knowledge and creativity.
- Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship Names Two to Entrepreneurship Hall of FameThe Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship at Saint Louis University inducted two new members to its Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame at a dinner on Friday, Nov. 8, at the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business.
- SLU's School of Education Partners with St. Louis Catholic Academy to Support Middle School EducationSaint Louis University's School of Education has partnered with St. Louis Catholic Academy, beginning a first-of-its-kind affiliation for SLU's School of Education. The SLU School of Education will provide resources to St. Louis Catholic Academy's middle school, starting with the current school year.
- SLU Study: Integrative Palliative Care Critical to Improve Mental Health Among Pancreatic Cancer PatientsFor patients facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, a compassionate approach to care can be transformative. Yet, a new study published in Healthcare reveals that palliative care, a service focused on enhancing the quality of life for those with serious illnesses, remains significantly underutilized among pancreatic cancer patients in the United States.
- SLU Study: Black Patients with Heart Failure Less Likely to Receive Palliative CareA study by researchers at Saint Louis University shows that only one in eight patients with heart failure in the United States receive palliative care consultations within five years of diagnosis. The study also highlighted significant racial and geographic disparities. Black people were 15% less likely to receive palliative care compared to their white counterparts.
- Team from Peer Jesuit Institutions Visits SLU as Part of Review of University's MissionSaint Louis University wrapped its year-long institutional process of discernment with an on-site peer visit this week. The visit was conducted by colleagues from three peer Jesuit universities.