An early-detection programme for prostate cancer in Saudi men: A call from a tertiary-care centre in the Eastern province

OBJECTIVE: To review the mode of presentation and clinical course of patients with prostate cancer during a specified period, as the detection rate is tending to increase, with most patients presenting at an advanced stage, and yet the overall incidence and prevalence rates are low. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all aspects of care for patients who were diagnosed between May 2006 and July 2010. RESULTS: In all, 76 men had a histologically confirmed prostatic adenocarcinoma diagnosed between May 2006 and July 2010 (mean age 71.1 years, SD 8). The median (range) prostate-specific antigen level at diagnosis was 52 (1.2–16,230) ng/mL. Of the patients, 74% had a Gleason grade of ⩾ 7 on diagnosis, and 64% had extraprostatic disease on presentation. Active surveillance was adopted in four patients, and four others were maintained on watchful waiting. Six patients had a radical prostatectomy, in one of whom it was a salvage procedure. Six patients received external-beam radical radiotherapy, five of whom had neoadjuvant, concurrent and adjuvant hormonal therapy. All remaining patients were treated primarily with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). Of the patients on hormonal manipulation, in 56% the cancer became castrate-resistant within the mean (SD) follow-up of 17.2 (15) months. Of patients treated primarily with ADT, 34% died. The death rate among the whole group was 23%. Both percentages include both prostate cancer-specific and non-specific mortality. CONCLUSION: An advanced stage of disease at presentation mandates an early-detection, hospital-based screening programme. Further research should include many more patients and be based in several centres.