A Nationwide Study of Differences in Surgical Treatment Rates and Oncological Outcomes for Prostate Cancer according to Economic Status and Region

PURPOSE: We investigated the effects of economic status (classified based on insurance type and residential area) on oncological outcomes of prostate cancer using a nationwide database. We additionally investigated oncological outcomes based on economic status and residential area in patients who underwent surgical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 75,518 men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer between 2009 and 2018 in whom oncological outcomes were investigated based on economic status and residential area. Among the 75,518 men with prostate cancer, the data of 29,973 men who underwent radical prostatectomy were further analyzed. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the effects of economic status and residential area on postoperative oncological outcomes. RESULTS: Among the 75,518 patients with prostate cancer, 3,254 (4.31%) were medical aid beneficiaries. The 5-year overall survival rates were 81.2% and 64.8% in the health insurance and medical aid groups, respectively. Radical prostatectomy was more common in the health insurance group, and surgical intervention was significantly affected by the residential area. Among patients who underwent surgery, 5-year androgen deprivation therapy–free and overall survival were better in the health insurance group. Multivariate analysis showed that insurance type and residential area were significantly associated with the androgen deprivation therapy–free and overall survival after adjustment for other variables. CONCLUSION: Economic status and residential area were shown to affect not only treatment patterns but also post-diagnosis and postoperative oncological outcomes. Political support for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of prostate cancer is warranted for medically vulnerable populations.