[Staging pelvic lymphadenectomy for carcinoma of the prostate]

Prospective pathological staging by pelvic lymphadenectomy in 12 patients with clinically localized carcinoma of the prostate disclosed a high incidence (58%) of clinically silent and unsuspected lymph node metastases. The incidence of positive nodes was 0% in patients with clinical stage A disease, 33% in stage B, 100% in stage C disease. Serum acid phosphatase was not a useful staging marker. Excellent correlation existed between histological grade and pathological stage. Gleason's sum was predictive of nodal metastases.