The role of pathologic variables and hormonal treatment after radical prostatectomy for stage D1 disease

Pathologic Stage D1 disease proves to be present in nearly 20% of patients who undergo radical prostatectomy for presumably clinically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Disease outcome in patients who have undergone radical prostatectomy is significantly related to nuclear DNA ploidy pattern of the primary tumor and immediate adjuvant hormonal treatment, which prevents progression in all patients with a DNA diploid tumor pattern (40%). Although adjuvant hormonal treatments decrease progression significantly in patients with nondiploid tumors (60%), its impact on cancer death rate is less certain. This group of patients should be studied prospectively with innovative treatment programs.