Treatment of localized prostate cancer in elderly patients

Prostate cancer is a disease of the elderly. According to National Cancer Institute, more than 56.7% of incident cases are diagnosed and more than 90% of cancer specific deaths occur in men greater than 65 years of age. Despite equivalent oncologic outcomes with treatment, primary local therapy is often deferred in elderly men with high-risk prostate cancer, in part due to concerns that post surgery quality of life (QOL) functional outcomes compare poorly to younger men. Our aim in this editorial is to discuss the functional and oncological outcomes in management of elderly with localized prostate cancer.