Re: A Prospective Study of Health-Related Quality-of-Life Outcomes for Patients with Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Managed by Active Surveillance or Radiation Therapy

The treatment options for low-risk prostate cancer (PCa) include active surveillance (AS), external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT), and radical prostatectomy all with 5-year survival rates over 95%. However, each treatment option also carries the risk of negative effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). AS has been gaining popularity in recent years, however, data are lacking on its effects on HRQoL. This study aimed to determine whether patients with low-risk PCa, who undergo EBRT, report poorer HRQoL outcomes compared to those managed with AS over a 3-year period. The study population was identified from the Center for Prostate Disease Research Multicenter National Database. Inclusion criteria included a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis of PCa in patients aged 75 years or younger. “Low-risk” PCa was defined using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network criteria: clinical stage T1-T2a, biopsy Gleason score ≤6, and prostate-specific antigen