Shorter prostate-specific antigen doubling time was significantly associated with shorter metastasis-free survival and overall survival.
The development of metastasis was associated with a 3-fold higher risk of death.
The onset of non-metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer and metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer was associated with substantial cost increases.
An article published in Urologic Oncology has confirmed the generally accepted premise that PSA doubling times directly correlates with a man’s risk for prostate cancer progression if he has non-metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC).
The researchers utilized data that came from the Veterans Administration and consisted of over 12,000 men who had nmCRPC.
The men had been treated between January 2007 and August 2017.
The researchers divided the men’s PSA doubling times into five groups:
Doubling in less than 3 months
Doubling from 3 to 9 months
Doubling from 9 to 15 months
Doubling in 15 or more months
Unknown doubling time
Their PSA doubling times were correlated with their and overall survival (OS) times.
The researchers found that the men with the shorter PSA doubling times had a shorter time before they developed metastases (shorter metastasis-free survival (MFS)) as well as a shorter overall survival (OS). They also found that the men who had developed metastasis had a three times higher risk of dying than those without metastasis
