Background: There is scant data regarding disease presentation and treatment response among black men living\r\nin Africa. In this study we evaluate disease presentation and early clinical outcomes among Ghanaian men with\r\nprostate cancer treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).\r\nMethods: A total of 379 men with prostate cancer were referred to the National Center for Radiotherapy, Ghana\r\nfrom 2003 to 2009. Data were collected regarding patient-and tumor-related factors such as age, prostate specific\r\nantigen (PSA), Gleason score (GS), clinical stage (T), and use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). For patients\r\nwho received EBRT, freedom from biochemical failure (FFbF) was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method.\r\nResults: Of 379 patients referred for treatment 69.6% had initial PSA (iPSA) > 20 ng/ml, and median iPSA was\r\n39.0 ng/ml. A total of 128 men, representing 33.8% of the overall cohort, were diagnosed with metastatic disease at\r\ntime of referral. Among patients with at least 2 years of follow-up after EBRT treatment (n=52; median follow-up\r\ntime: 38.9 months), 3- and 5-year actuarial FFbF was 73.8% and 65.1% respectively. There was significant association\r\nbetween higher iPSA and GS (8ââ?¬â??10 vs. =7, p < 0.001), and T stage (T3/4 vs. T1/2, p < 0.001).\r\nConclusions: This is the largest series reporting on outcomes after prostate cancer treatment in West Africa. That\r\none-third of patients presented with metastatic disease suggests potential need for earlier detection to permit\r\ncurative-intent therapy. Data from this study will aid in the strategic development of prostate cancer research\r\nroadmap in Ghana
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