Objectives: Retrospective studies have shown that pelvic lymph node dissection can be dispensed with in selected men undergoing radical prostatectomy. We prospectively evaluated the influence of nondissection of pelvic lymph nodes on tumor progression in our first 100 perineal prostatectomies.
Methods: From October 1992 to February 1998, 100 patients underwent radical perineal prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer. Preoperative PSA, the Gleason score of positive biopsies and age at surgery were noted. Forty-three of the 100 patients (group 1) did not undergo pelvic lymph node dissection because their preoperative PSA level was below 10 ng/ml (Hybritech assay, normal value 4 ng/ml) and the Gleason score of their positive biopsies was below 7. These 43 patients were compared with 25 of the 114 patients operated on during the same period by the retropubic approach and who had pelvic node dissection and the same preoperative criteria (PSA <10 ng/ml and a Gleason score of positive biopsies <7; group 2). All prostatectomy specimens were processed according to the Stanford protocol: prostate weight, Gleason score, capsular, seminal vesicle, lymph node and surgical margin status, and tumor volume were studied. Postoperative followup was based on routine serum PSA assays after 1 and 3 months and then half-yearly. Biological progression was defined as PSA level which was detectable postoperatively (>/=0.2 ng/ml). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the likelihood of biochemical recurrence. Results were compared by using Fisher's test, the Mann-Whitney test and the log-rank test. Differences were considered significant when the p value was <0.05.
Results: No differences in preoperative characteristics were observed; in groups 1 and 2, mean age was 65.9 and 64.7 years, PSA was 6.7 and 5.11 ng/ml, and the Gleason biopsy score was 5.7 vs. 5.0, respectively. In groups 1 and 2, specimen weight was 44.5 and 54.3 g (p = 0.04), the Gleason score was 6.2 and 5.6, tumor volume was 0.91 and 0.8 ml, 81.4 and 84% of patients were in stage pT2, 13.9 and 12% had extracapsular disease, 4.6 and 0% had seminal vesicle invasion, and 13.9 and 16% had positive surgical margins, respectively. The mean follow-up was 2.74 years (0.27-5.59 years). The actuarial 5-year recurrence-free rate was 78% in group 1 and 80% in group 2 (p>0.05).
Conclusion: The lack of pelvic lymph node dissection does not influence the intermediate term results of perineal radical prostatectomy in selected patients (preoperative PSA <10 ng/ml and Gleason score for positive biopsies <7).