Health-related Quality of Life in Intermediate- or High-risk Patients Treated With Radical External Radiotherapy and Adjuvant Docetaxel for Localized Prostate Cancer: A Randomized, Phase III SPCG-13 Study

Abstract

Background/aim: The goal of this study was to investigate whether health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was affected in patients with high- or intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer treated with docetaxel following radiation therapy (RT).

Patients and methods: A total of 376 patients treated with RT and androgen deprivation were randomized to receive 6 cycles of docetaxel 75 mg/m² (N=188, Arm A) or surveillance (N=188, Arm B). FACT-P HRQoL questionnaires were gathered at baseline, six months and 1, 2 and 4 years after randomization. The data were analysed using analysis of covariance.

Results: FACT-P scores decreased in Arm A at the end of treatment and remained unchanged in Arm B (p<0.0001). The HRQoL scores in Arm A matched Arm B in the 1-year follow-up (p=0.0528) and remained similar in further follow-up.

Conclusion: Docetaxel transiently decreased HRQoL during chemotherapy but not after treatment for up to four years of follow-up.

Keywords: Radiotherapy; docetaxel; prostate cancer; quality of life.