Surgery with adjuvant irradiation in patients with pathologic stage C adenocarcinoma of the prostate

In recent years, the routine use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to detect cancer of the prostate (CaP) early has renewed the controversy regarding radiotherapy versus radical prostatectomy as the superior definitive treatment. Radiotherapy alone has been reported to result in a high incidence of local recurrence, whereas on the other hand surgical treatment has resulted in a high incidence of microscopic residual tumor. The purpose of this study was to review our treatment results with radical prostatectomy followed by planned courses of postoperative irradiation in patients with pathologic Stage (PS) C disease.

From 1972 to 1989, 95 patients with CaP with PS C tumors were treated with radical prostatectomy and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. Pathologic stage distribution was: C1 in 26 (27%), C2 in 37 (39%), and C3 in 32 (34%) patients. The median follow-up was 6 years. All 95 study patients received postoperative pelvic irradiation as the only adjuvant treatment. Radiotherapy treated volume included the prostatic fossa and its immediate vicinity. The RT dose ranged from 33 Gy to 61.8 Gy (median, 45 Gy).

The overall 5- and 10-year actuarial survival rates were 94% and 73%, respectively, with the 5 and 10 year disease specific survival of 98% and 91%, respectively. Clinical and/or prostate specific antigen recurrence was 31% at 5 years and 44% at 10 years. Prostate specific antigen elevation without clinical evidence of recurrent disease was recorded in 26 (27%) patients. Seminal vesicle involvement (C3) and high Gleason's score (8-10) were the most important factors predicting recurrence. Of the 95 patients treated, 2 had pelvic recurrence alone and 1 had local and distant metastatic disease. Radiotherapy was well tolerated with no clinically important morbidity.

Based on this experience, moderate dose adjuvant radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy in patients with PS C CaP is recommended.