Morbidity and mortality of local failure after definitive therapy for prostate cancer

We reviewed our experience with morbidity and mortality associated with clinical local failure after definitive therapy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate by interstitial 125iodine implantation, external beam radiation therapy or radical prostatectomy. Morbid complications included unilateral ureteral obstruction; bladder obstruction and/or incontinence requiring treatment by transurethral resection, or placement of a urethral or suprapubic catheter; hematuria requiring intervention for clot evacuation or fulguration, and perineal and/or pelvic pain. Lethal complications included bilateral ureteral obstruction or bowel obstruction. We treated 108 patients with 125iodine, 178 with external beam radiotherapy and 67 with radical prostatectomy. Clinical local failure occurred in 26 per cent of the 125iodine, 17 per cent of the external beam radiotherapy and 12 per cent of the radical prostatectomy groups. The total incidence of local failure with 125iodine was statistically higher than for radical prostatectomy. Stage C and poorly differentiated tumors were associated with a statistically higher incidence of local failure compared to lower stage and grade tumors. However, within each stage and grade there was no significant difference in local failure between treatment modalities. There was negligible morbidity or mortality secondary to local failure associated with stage A2, stage B1 or well differentiated tumors regardless of treatment modality. There was no difference in the morbidity and mortality between treatment modalities for stage C or poorly differentiated tumors. However, for stage B2 or moderately differentiated tumors treated by 125iodine implantation there was a statistically greater incidence of morbidity and mortality than that associated with external beam radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy. Our observations with regard to selection of primary monotherapy options that provide local tumor control are as follows. Stage A2, stage B1 or well differentiated tumors can be well controlled by all 3 treatment modalities. 125Iodine is associated with local failure-related morbidity and mortality for stage B2 or moderately differentiated tumors, which are statistically higher than for external beam radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy, and therefore, these latter are the preferred treatment. Radical prostatectomy and 125iodine for stage C tumors are associated with a trend to higher local failure, and related morbidity and mortality than is external beam radiotherapy. However, longer followup of the external beam radiotherapy series is necessary to confirm this observation.