ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim was to ensure efficient utilization of PSMA PET-CT by examining the correlation of pathological lymph node metastasis with nomogram scores and risk classifications. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissections for pelvic lymph nodes were performed using the same template. Bilaterally pelvic lymph nodes were removed within the boundaries of genitofemoral nerves, psoas muscle and lateral pelvic wall laterally, ureteric crossing of the iliac vessels superiorly, lateral bladder wall medially, Cooper ligaments distally, and endopelvic fascia, neurovascular bundles and internal iliac arteries posteriorly. Clinical nomograms were used to calculate the probability of lymph node metastasis preoperatively. Using receiver operating characteristics analysis, discriminatory cut-offs were calculated. The diagnostic performance of PSMA PET-CT was determined for detecting lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: For 81 patients, the median age was 64 years. The median PSA was 6.8 ng/ml. Most patients were in the D'Amico intermediate (56.8%) and high (37%) risk groups. Median Briganti 2017, MSKCC, and Partin scores were 35 (4-99), 37 (8-90), and 12 (2-38), respectively, in pN1 patients. The area under the curve for Briganti 2017, MSKCC, Partin nomograms and PSMA PET-CT scans were 0.852, 0.871, 0.862, and 0.588. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for Ga-68 PSMA PET-CT for lymph node metastasis detection were 21.4%, 94%, 42.9%, and 85.1%, respectively, for the whole group. By using higher threshold values for clinical nomograms (Briganti 2017 >32, MSKCC >12, Partin >5), PSMA PET-CT had higher sensitivity (42.9, 30, 27.2) in detecting lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients in the D'Amico high-risk group and those with high nomogram scores are the best candidates who will benefit from preoperative PSMA PET-CT staging to estimate lymph node metastasis.
