Conditional Relative Survival and Competing Mortality of Patients with Prostate Cancer in Korea: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Background: Conditional relative survival (CRS) and competing mortality are important survivorship issues after cancer treatment. We aimed to investigate them among patients with prostate cancer treated by various modalities.

Methods: Using a nationwide population-based database, we calculated 5-year CRS conditioned on 1 through 5 years survival after diagnosis. These rates were stratified by age, sex, socioeconomic status, comorbidities, and treatment received. Cause of death and estimated cause-specific mortality were also described and considered with competing risks.

Results: A total of 81,773 patients newly diagnosed with primary prostate cancer from 2007 to 2013 were identified. The 5-year CRS was 81.1% at baseline, but increased gradually up to 95.4% at 4 years and exceeded 100% at 5 years after diagnosis, suggesting no excess mortality compared with the general population. However, this pattern differed by treatment received. Patients who underwent androgen deprivation therapy showed 5-year CRS of only 88.4% at 5 years after diagnosis, implying persistent excess mortality. Prostate cancer constituted around one-third of deaths, while other cancers were the main cause of death within <2 years after diagnosis. Noncancer-related deaths, including cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease, increased with time since diagnosis.

Conclusion: CRS rates for patients with prostate cancer improved over time and exceeded that of the general population at 5 years. Other cancers were the main cause of death in the earlier survivorship phase, and deaths from noncancer causes gradually increased over time.

Impact: Our findings will help patients and clinicians make evidence-based decisions on the basis of a patient's dynamic risk profile.