Treatment Given Near the End of Life in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Chemotherapy treatment options are limited for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The purpose of this study is to report treatment use and adverse effects (AEs) within the last three months of life in patients with CRPC. Of the 88 patients identified, 32% received treatment within 3 months of death, and documented AEs occurred in 25% of patients. Of those, neutropenia (18.3%), nausea/vomiting (18.3%), and febrile neutropenia (13.6%) were the most frequent. Results of this study show high treatment utility towards the end-of-life in patients with CRPC, with one fourth of patients experiencing AEs. Attention to health-related quality of life becomes increasingly important as new treatments appear to have small impact on survival, and AEs of those treatments may significantly impact patient quality of life.