Pelvic lymph node status as predictor of extracapsular tumor extension in clinical stage B prostatic cancer

To examine the accuracy of normal pelvic lymph node status in identifying patients with clinical stage B prostatic cancer not having extracapsular tumor extension we reviewed 63 consecutive patients (39 stage B1 and 24 stage B2) treated with radical prostatectomy. Ten per cent of the patients with stage B1 lesions (tumor involving 1 lobe) and 38 per cent with stage B2 lesions (tumor involving both lobes) had extracapsular extension. Extracapsular tumor extension was more common in patients with larger, less differentiated lesions. The results suggest that a negative pelvic lymphadenectomy does not exclude with a high degree of confidence extracapsular tumor extension in patients with clinical stage B2 prostatic cancer.