Men with prostate cancer willing to prioritise quality over quantity of life

January 2020

Impressive results of the COMPARE study have recently been published in The Journal of Urology. Prostate cancer patients of all risk groups were willing to trade-off cancer-specific survival for improved quality of life.

Evaluating the Trade-offs Men with Localised Prostate Cancer Make Between the Risks and Benefits of Treatments: The COMPARE Study 
Verity Watson at al. J Urol., 2020 Jan

Men with low-intermediate risk prostate cancer were willing to trade:

• 7% absolute decrease in survival in exchange to have active surveillance over definitive therapy.

High-risk prostate cancer patients were willing to trade:

• 3.10% survival for one-month earlier return to normal activities
• 1.04% survival for 1% improvement in urinary function
• 0.41% survival for 1% improvement in sexual function.

Read more in European Urology:
https://www.auajournals.org/doi/10.1097/JU.0000000000000754

Fortunately, patients suitable for focal therapy almost certainly do not need to make that trade.