Prognostic factors for survival in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) after initial androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a standard mode of therapy for patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Controversy exists, however, as to the optimal timing of initiation of ADT, as well as whether this form of therapy imparts a survival benefit to patients with advanced disease. Side effects of ADT are not minimal and can seriously compromise a patient's quality of life. Additionally, ADT eventually results in hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). Despite new chemotherapeutic regimens and hormonal agents, overall survival in these patients remains universally low. Nonetheless, it is valuable to gauge a patient's prognosis to assist in decision making when considering treatment options. Contemporary series analyzing patients with HRPC have identified several factors prognostic of survival outcomes, such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALK), hemoglobin (Hgb), and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level. Nomograms have been developed that utilize these pretreatment clinical variables to predict clinical outcomes, including 1-year, 2-year, and median survival times in patients with HRPC. These instruments are capable of more accurately predicting survival outcomes than traditional tables of multivariate results or simple analysis of prognostic factors. We believe these nomograms will become indispensable tools for patient counseling and clinical trial design in patients with HRPC.