Stage T1A carcinoma of prostate

When presented with a post-TURP patient with pathologically confirmed Stage T1a disease, several points should be considered (Fig. 1). Is the patient's anticipated longevity and quality-of-life likely to be affected by the confirmed diagnosis? From current knowledge, men over the age of seventy or with co-morbid risk factors probably will not be adversely affected, and no treatment is required apart from expectant follow-up with semiannual DRE and serum PSA determinations. The group at risk seems to be the young patient with a Stage T1a tumor who is likely to survive more than ten years after the diagnosis. Data showing progression rates without treatment as high as 16-25 percent at eight to ten years seem to indicate the need for additional therapy. If the patient belongs to this category and is ready to pursue more aggressive treatment, reestablishing the diagnosis might be suggested, as well as an evaluation of the pre- and post-TUR PSA levels. This can be done by TRUS-guided biopsies of the prostate (or repeat TURP, which we regard as less preferable). If residual tumor is not found, we would counsel a "wait and see" approach. If subsequent tissue sampling identifies other than well-differentiated cancer or indicates the likelihood of more extensive cancer than the T1a staging, treatment would be suggested. If the restaging reveals some residual well-differentiated disease that would not alter the initial staging of T1a, the patient should be offered the alternatives of close monitoring, radical prostatectomy, or radiation therapy. Until prognostic factors such as DNA ploidy and nuclear roundness are better studied, we are unable to counsel the patient on the biologic significance/aggressiveness of his Stage T1a disease.