Neoadjuvant hormonal ablative therapy before radical prostatectomy: a review. Is it indicated?

Neoadjuvant hormonal ablation therapy has been used to decrease the rate of positive surgical margins in patients treated with radical prostatectomy. We reviewed the available literature to determine whether this therapy is indicated and beneficial.

We performed a MEDLINE key word search and assessed randomized prospective articles. Data were analyzed for the rate of positive surgical margins, seminal vesicle invasion and lymph node metastasis as well as surgical characteristics, including operative time, blood loss, hospital stay, rate of complications and difficulty of surgical dissection. In addition, these data were evaluated for prostate specific antigen-free survival.

Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy decreased the rate of positive margins in 6 of the 7 randomized prospective studies. In none of 4 randomized prospective series was there an improved rate of seminal vesicle invasion with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy. Of 4 studies 3 showed no improvement in the rate of lymph node metastasis after neoadjuvant hormonal therapy compared with that in controls. Similarly there was no improvement in prostate specific antigen-free survival and no significant difference in operative time, operative blood loss, transfusion or hospital stay in patients treated with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy and controls. In addition, in 2 of 3 studies there was no difference in the complication rate.

Analysis of the available literature revealed no significant improvement in outcome to support the routine administration of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy before prostatectomy.