Radical Prostatectomy Benefits Lymph Node-Positive Patients

Radical prostatectomy (RP) is associated with improved survival in patients with prostate cancer and positive lymph nodes (LN), according to German researchers.

Jutta Engel, MD, of Ludwig-Maximilians-University, in Munich, and colleagues studied 1,413 patients with prostate cancer and positive lymph nodes diagnosed during pelvic LN dissection (PLND). Of these, 957 had a completed RP, and 456 had their RP abandoned. The median follow-up was 5.6 years.

The overall survival at five and 10 years was 84% and 64%, respectively, in the RP group and 60% and 28%, respectively, among in the abandoned RP group, the investigators  reported in European Urology (2010; published online ahead of print).

The relative survival at five and 10 years was 95% and 86%, respectively, for the RP group and 70% and 40%, respectively, for patients not treated with RP. In multivariate analysis, RP was associated with a twofold increased likelihood of survival.

From the March 01, 2010 Issue of Renal and Urology News