Adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with pathologic Stage C (pT3N0) adenocarcinoma of the prostate

This report is an update on the outcomes in the management of pathologic Stage C (T3N0) prostate cancer (CaP) with postoperative irradiation.

Between 1976 and 1994, 311 patients with pathologic Stage C CaP were treated with radical prostatectomy. Pathologic stage was as follows: C1, 60 patients (19%), C2, 146 patients (47%), and C3, 105 patients (34%). Gleason score was 2 to 4 in 10 patients (3.2%), 5 to 6 in 121 (39%), 7 in 101 (32%), and 8 to 10 in 76 (24%); median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 11.9 ng/mL. Postoperative irradiation consisted of a median dose of 48 Gy. Follow-up was up to 18 years (median 5).

The 10-year actuarial survival was 81% and 10-year disease-free survival was 51%. Pathologic stage and Gleason score were independently predictive of recurrence, each with P >0.001 after controlling for the other. Patients with pathologic Stage C3 and Gleason score 7 to 10 were in the worst prognostic category and had 5.4 times the risk of recurrence compared with patients with pathologic Stage C1-C2, Gleason score 2 to 6. Preoperative PSA was a good (P = 0.02) predictor of disease-free survival. Clinical recurrence was seen in 28 patients (9%), including 10 (3.2%) with local recurrence. PSA recurrence (PSA greater than 0.05 ng/mL) developed in 68 patients (22%).

With the known limitations of a nonrandomized clinical trial, on the basis of the experience of this study we recommend the use of moderate dose, limited-field postoperative radiotherapy in patients with pathologic Stage C disease with Gleason score greater than 4.