Table 3.
Quality of life measures comparing early-stage prostate cancer patients who underwent watchful waiting for at least one year to those who were treated within one year after diagnosis, Physicians' Health Study, 1982–2006
| Watchful waiting for at least one year after diagnosis (n=121) |
Any Treatment within one year after diagnosis (n=1085) |
p-value1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urinary leakage or incontinence | |||
| % moderate or severe | 3.5 | 10.0 | 0.024 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 0.33 (0.12,0.91) | 1.00 (referent) | 0.033 |
| Nocturia | |||
| % moderate or severe | 27.6 | 21.3 | 0.118 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 1.07 (0.68,1.68) | 1.00 (referent) | 0.775 |
| Increased urinary frequency or urgency | |||
| % moderate or severe | 16.1 | 15.0 | 0.761 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 0.94 (0.54,1.63) | 1.00 (referent) | 0.829 |
| Decreased force of urinary stream | |||
| % moderate or severe | 21.8 | 13.0 | 0.011 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 1.34 (0.80,2.23) | 1.00 (referent) | 0.269 |
| Hematuria | |||
| % moderate or severe | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.000 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 0.62 (0.14,2.89) | 1.00 (referent) | 0.545 |
| Fatigue | |||
| % moderate or severe | 12.2 | 8.9 | 0.272 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 0.98 (0.50,1.90) | 1.00 (referent) | 0.945 |
| Hot flashes | |||
| % moderate or severe | 5.7 | 7.3 | 0.534 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 0.54 (0.22,1.31) | 1.00 (referent) | 0.171 |
| Impotence | |||
| % moderate or severe | 67.9 | 78.2 | 0.015 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 0.41 (0.26,0.65) | 1.00 (referent) | < 0.001 |
| Reduced sexual desire | |||
| % moderate or severe | 55.7 | 47.2 | 0.099 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 1.00 (0.65,1.53) | 1.00 (referent) | 0.994 |
| Rectal urgency | |||
| % moderate or severe | 7.6 | 8.4 | 0.780 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 0.75 (0.35,1.63) | 1.00 (referent) | 0.463 |
| Diarrhea | |||
| % moderate or severe | 2.9 | 3.3 | 1.000 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 0.73 (0.21,2.51) | 1.00 (referent) | 0.614 |
| Abdominal and/or perineal pain | |||
| % moderate or severe | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.000 |
| OR (95% CI)2 | 0.78 (0.09,6.40) | 1.00 (referent) | 0.815 |
1
Two-sided p-value from the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, or Wald test comparing watchful waiting patients to those treated within one year after diagnosis.
2
Odds of reporting moderate or severe symptoms among watchful waiting patients compared to those treated within one year post-diagnosis. Adjusted for age at diagnosis (continuous), comorbidity score (continuous), and time from diagnosis to quality of life assessment (continuous).