Prostate Cancer–Related Deaths with Gleason 6 Disease

Postponing definitive therapy for men with Gleason 6 prostate cancer is becoming more common. Investigators conducted a retrospective cohort study using a national cancer database with active surveillance/watchful waiting (AS/WW) data on more than 32,000 black and 160,000 nonblack men who received diagnoses of prostate cancer (Gleason 6 or Gleason 7–10 disease) from 2010 through 2015. About 44% of patients had Gleason 6 disease, and AS/WW was the chosen option for about 20% of such men.

During median follow-up of 36 months, prostate cancer–related deaths associated with Gleason 6 disease were roughly twice as common in black men than in other men (0.40% vs. 0.22%). The hazard ratio, adjusted for important factors including type of treatment,…