Risks of alcohol and drug use disorders in prostate cancer survivors: a national cohort study

Abstract

Background Prostate cancer (PC) survivors may potentially use substances to cope with psychological distress or poorly-controlled physical symptoms. However, little is known about long-term risks of alcohol use disorder (AUD) or drug use disorders (DUD) in men with PC. Methods A national cohort study was conducted in Sweden of 180,189 men diagnosed with PC during 1998-2017 and 1,801,890 age-matched population-based control men. AUD and DUD were ascertained from nationwide records through 2018. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) while adjusting for sociodemographic factors and prior psychiatric disorders. Subanalyses examined differences by PC treatment during 2005-2017. Results Men with high-risk PC had increased risks of both AUD (adjusted HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.33-1.57) and DUD (1.93; 1.67-2.24). Their AUD risk was highest in the first year and was no longer significantly elevated ≥5 years after PC diagnosis, whereas their DUD risk remained elevated ≥10 years after PC diagnosis (adjusted HR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.45-3.52), particularly opioid use disorder (3.07; 1.61-5.84). Those treated only with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) had the highest risks of AUD (adjusted HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.62-2.25) and DUD (2.23; 1.70-2.92). Low- or intermediate-risk PC was associated with modestly increased risks of AUD (adjusted HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.30-1.46) and DUD (1.19; 1.06-1.34). Conclusions In this large cohort, men with PC had significantly increased risks of both AUD and DUD, especially those with high-risk PC and treated only with ADT. PC survivors need long-term psychosocial support and timely detection and treatment of AUD and DUD.

Domain-specific LLM Development and Evaluation – A Case-study for Prostate Cancer

“…Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer among men in the United States with a 5-year survival rate of about 100% for local or regional cancer 1,2 . However, the diagnosis of prostate cancer is often followed by immediate decline in mental and physical health 3,4 . Limited knowledge regarding the disease, embarrassment around physical examination such as rectal exam and discussion of sexual symptoms with healthcare professionals, potentially exacerbated depending on the provider gender 5,6 , are known causes of poor outcome among older patients and/or those belonging ethnic minorities [7][8][9] .…”