Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy for Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer: Oncological Potential and Limitations as...

Background: Locally advanced prostate cancer (PCa) is commonly treated with multimodal therapy; however, long-term outcomes of surgery alone are poorly defined. We investigated the potential and limitations of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) as primary treatment without perioperative systemic therapy in patients with locally advanced PCa. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 258 patients who underwent RARP with extended pelvic lymph node dissection between 2012 and 2022 with locally advanced PCa, defined as present if at least one of the following was met: clinical stage cT3b-T4; primary Gleason pattern 5; >4 biopsy cores with Grade Group 4 or 5; or more than one NCCN high-risk characteristic. Patients who received neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy were excluded. Endpoints included biochemical recurrence-free survival, metastasis-free survival, cancer-specific survival, and predictors of persistent PSA. Results: Median follow-up was 60.6 months. Pathological stage ≥ pT3a occurred in 63.6% and nodal involvement (pN1) in 27.1%. Five-year BRFS, MFS, and CSS were 36.6%, 88.9%, and 98.3%, respectively. Persistent PSA occurred in 21.3%. Preoperative predictors included PSA > 40 ng/mL, clinical stage ≥ cT3a, and >4 biopsy cores with a Gleason score of 8-10; patients with ≥2 features had significantly poorer BRFS and MFS. Postoperative predictors of recurrence were pathological stage, lymphovascular invasion, and nodal involvement. Conclusions: RARP alone provided durable long-term cancer control in selected men with locally advanced PCa, whereas patients with multiple adverse features were unlikely to be cured with surgery alone. Careful risk stratification may identify candidates for surgical monotherapy and help avoid overtreatment, while others may benefit from multimodal therapy.