Racial disparity in the utilization of immunotherapy for advanced prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To identify whether there was a disparity in the utilization of immunotherapy in the treatment of black patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). METHODS: Using the National Cancer Database, we identified patients between 2010- 2015 with likely minimally/asymptomatic mCRPC. We analyzed annual trends for chemotherapy and immunotherapy use and compared utilization by demographic and clinical features. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine predictors of receiving immunotherapy vs chemotherapy. RESULTS: We identified 1301 patients with likely mCRPC. The majority were non Hispanic White (NHW - 63 %) and 23 % were non-Hispanic Black (NHB). Overall, there was increased utilization of immunotherapy in mCRPC from 2010 onwards, with the peak occurring in 2014 (4.6 %). Chemotherapy use increased significantly, peaking in 2014 to 26.1 %. However, the increased utilization of immunotherapy in the mCRPC was mainly seen in White patients: from 50 % to 74.2 % of the cohort. Conversely, there was a decrease in utilization of immunotherapy among Black mCPRC patients: from 50 % to 25.8 %. On multivariable analysis, there was no statistically significant difference between treatment types by race. CONCLUSION: FDA approval of Sipuleucel-T for mCRPC led to increased utilization of immunotherapy shortly thereafter, but this was mainly noted in white patients. Black patients comparatively did not exhibit increased utilization of this novel agent after 2010. Further studies are necessary to help understand barriers to access to new treatment in mCRPC and eliminate the burden of disease in minority populations."

The 4Kscore Predicts the Grade and Stage of Prostate Cancer in the Radical Prostatectomy Specimen: Results from a Multi-institutional Prospective Trial.

BACKGROUND: The 4Kscore accurately predicts aggressive prostate cancer (PCa) on prostate biopsy. OBJECTIVE: We assessed how well the 4Kscore predicts pathology at radical prostatectomy (RP). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Among 1312 men who prospectively underwent a 4Kscore and biopsy of the prostate at 26 sites throughout the United States from October 2013 to April 2014, we selected men who were diagnosed with cancer and underwent RP. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The primary outcome was the presence of high-grade PCa or extracapsular extension. We assessed the association between the 4Kscore and the grade and extent of PCa at RP using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. We used logistic regression to investigate the added value of the 4Kscore in predicting a high-grade or non-organ-confined tumor when added to available postbiopsy clinical predictive tools. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 144 men were diagnosed with PCa and underwent RP. Higher 4Kscores were associated with higher grade at RP. For men with Gleason scores ≥6, 7, and 8 cancers in the surgical specimen, the median 4Kscores were 7% (interquartile range [IQR]: 4-2), 25% (IQR: 12-38), and 47% (IQR: 24-66) (p<0.0001), respectively. The median 4Kscore among men with non-organ-confined cancer was significantly higher then men with organ-confined cancers (36% [IQR: 19-58] vs 19% [IQR: 9-35]; p=0.002). The 4Kscore did not significantly add to available clinical prediction tools for determining the likelihood of a high grade or non-organ-confined cancer; however, we were limited by a small sample size for this analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In a subset of men who underwent RP, the 4Kscore was significantly associated with pathologic grade and extracapsular extension in the surgical specimen, with higher scores associated with higher grade and more aggressive histology. The 4Kscore test may be helpful in selecting men who are likely to have adverse pathologic features at RP that may preclude them from being safely observed. PATIENT SUMMARY: Among men with prostate cancer who underwent removal of the prostate, the 4Kscore was associated with the final grade and extent of cancer.

Re-examining Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA) Density: Defining the Optimal PSA Range and Patients for Using PSA Density to Predict Prostate Cancer Using Extended Template Biopsy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the predictive accuracy of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density vs PSA across different PSA ranges and by prior biopsy status in a prospective cohort undergoing prostate biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Men from a prospective trial underwent an extended template biopsy to evaluate for prostate cancer at 26 sites throughout the United States. The area under the receiver operating curve assessed the predictive accuracy of PSA density vs PSA across 3 PSA ranges (<4 ng/mL, 4-10 ng/mL, >10 ng/mL). We also investigated the effect of varying the PSA density cutoffs on the detection of cancer and assessed the performance of PSA density vs PSA in men with or without a prior negative biopsy. RESULTS: Among 1290 patients, 585 (45%) and 284 (22%) men had prostate cancer and significant prostate cancer, respectively. PSA density performed better than PSA in detecting any prostate cancer within a PSA of 4-10 ng/mL (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]: 0.70 vs 0.53, P < .0001) and within a PSA >10 mg/mL (AUC: 0.84 vs 0.65, P < .0001). PSA density was significantly more predictive than PSA in detecting any prostate cancer in men without (AUC: 0.73 vs 0.67, P < .0001) and with (AUC: 0.69 vs 0.55, P < .0001) a previous biopsy; however, the incremental difference in AUC was higher among men with a previous negative biopsy. Similar inferences were seen for significant cancer across all analyses. CONCLUSION: As PSA increases, PSA density becomes a better marker for predicting prostate cancer compared with PSA alone. Additionally, PSA density performed better than PSA in men with a prior negative biopsy.