DISEASE-SPECIFIC DEATH AFTER EXTERNAL-BEAM RADIATION OF PROSTATE-CANCER

Our purpose in this paper was to examine the association of age, race, stage, grade, and calendar period with and generate estimates of dise ase-specific mortality after external beam radiation for prostate canc er. Using data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Prog ram, we fit proportional hazards models and used life table analyses t o estimate survival distribution. High grade and stage, black race, an d early calendar period were individually associated with disease-spec ific mortality. Disease-specific survival ranged from 43% for poorly d ifferentiated regional cancer diagnosed in 1978-1982 to 88% for well d ifferentiated localized cancer diagnosed in 1983-1987. Estimates of di sease-specific mortality varied by grade, stage and calendar period of diagnosis. These estimates may be considered in evaluating future tre atments.