Determinants of Mortality among Patients Managed for Prostate Cancer: Experience from Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana

BACKGROUND: Over the past two decades, diagnosis and treatment approaches for men with prostate cancer have changed dramatically, with improvements in established prostate cancer treatments and new treatment strategies. However, In sub-Saharan African countries, there is a paucity of data on the characteristics and treatment of men who eventually die from Prostate Cancer (PCa). We used the clinical records of patients who died from PCa to describe the natural history and treatment PCa patients in Ghana. METHODS: From 2013 to 2022, the medical records of 234 men who died of PCa at a tertiary hospital in Ghana were prospectively collected and retrospectively analysed. RESULTS: The mean age at death was 71.6 years, and the median was 72.5 years. 51.3% died within 24 months of diagnosis, 23.0% between 2 and 5 years after diagnosis, and a quarter survived for more than 5 years. Over 80% presented with advanced disease, characterised by high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, a high T stage on DRE, and evidence of metastasis. 43.6% presented with haemoglobin levels below 10ng/dl at diagnosis. These patients had the worst outcome, with 73% dying less than 2 years after diagnosis. The 5-yr survival rate of patients who presented with metastatic disease was 21.2 %. Over 80% were treated with bilateral total orchidectomy, with less than 10% receiving treatment intensification with the newer generation antiandrogens or chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Our analysis shows that patients who die from PCa have aggressive disease, are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and are relatively younger than in Western countries. There is also a slow uptake of newer treatment strategies for metastatic prostate cancer. These results confirm literature suggesting that blacks have poorer outcomes due to the disease’s aggressive nature. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and also define appropriate management for metastatic PCa in sub-Saharan Africa.