The importance of surgical margins in prostate cancer

Positive surgical margins (PSM) after radical prostatectomy (RP) are a predictor of biochemical recurrence (BCR), and highly dependent on surgeon, experience, and skill. The length and location PSMs are important, with significant differences between open and robotic RP. The impact of PSMs on BCR remains secondary to other clinico-pathologic variables: Gleason Score, pathologic stage, and baseline PSA. However, lower PSM rates are associated with reduced use of secondary interventions and patient anxiety of cancer recurrence.