Minilaparotomy radical retropubic prostatectomy: updated technique and results.

The purpose of this article is to reduce the incisional morbidity associated with standard radical retropubic prostatectomy using the minilaparotomy incision developed for pelvic lymph-node dissection, which was applied to radical retropubic prostatectomy. More than 522 patients underwent minilaparotomy radical retropubic prostatectomy from 1991 to 1997. Preoperative evaluation included history, physical examination, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and Gleason's grade. Postoperative follow-up included serial PSA measurements and a determination of continence. The surgical technique is described in detail. Two hundred sixty-five patients responded to the mailed questionnaire out of a total 522 patients. Satisfactory continence, defined as 0 to 1 pad per day, was achieved in 85% of patients, and 83% of patients had a PSA < 0.2 at an average follow-up of 2.6 years. There was no operative mortality, and overall complication rate was similar to other surgeons. The typical patient was discharged home 3 days postoperatively. Minilaparotomy radical retropubic prostatectomy compares favorably with standard radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Digital rectal examination and imaging studies are unnecessary in men with undetectable prostate specific antigen following radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: We determine the probability of local or distant recurrence following radical prostatectomy in men with an undetectable prostate specific antigen (PSA) level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical course of 1,916 consecutive men followed during a 14-year period after radical prostatectomy was reviewed. Average followup plus or minus standard deviation is 5.5+/-3.5 years, and 326 men (17%) have been followed for more than 10 years. In total this population of men has been followed for 10,540 patient-years. RESULTS: Of 1,916 men 56 (2.9%) had local recurrence an average of 6.1+/-2.7 years (range 1 to 12) after surgery. No man had local recurrence with an undetectable serum PSA. Mean serum PSA at the time of local recurrence was 5.8 ng./ml. Of the 56 men 13 (25%) who had local disease recurrence had an undetectable serum PSA at 5 years of followup but had progression to biochemical and local disease recurrence later. Of 1,916 men 118 had distant metastases with a mean serum PSA of 28.6 ng./ml. No man has had distant metastasis with an undetectable serum PSA. CONCLUSIONS: Disease can recur after radical prostatectomy even after an extended biochemical disease-free interval. None of the 1,916 men followed for an average of greater than 5 years after surgery had local recurrence or distant metastasis with an undetectable serum PSA. Based on these observations, we recommend no further evaluation, that is digital rectal examination or imaging studies, in men with an undetectable PSA following radical prostatectomy.

Influence of sextant prostate needle biopsy or surgery on the detection and harvest of intact circulating prostate cancer cells.

PURPOSE: The feasibility of harvesting intact, circulating prostate cancer cells from the blood of men with advanced prostate cancer has previously been demonstrated. We studied the influence of sextant prostate needle biopsy and radical prostatectomy on harvesting intact circulating prostate cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Via standard venipuncture 20 c.c. blood were obtained preoperatively, and 30 minutes and 3 days postoperatively from 23 men with clinically localized prostate cancer undergoing surgery. Similarly, blood was obtained before and after routine prostate biopsy from 13 men for an elevated prostate specific antigen level and/or abnormal digital rectal examination. The blood cells were removed via density centrifugation and magnetic cell sorting. The remaining prostate epithelial cells were characterized by indirect fluorescent immunocytochemical staining and fluorescent in situ hybridization using deoxyribonucleic acid probes. RESULTS: Sextant biopsy of the prostate induced circulating cells in 3 of 13 men (23%), only 1 of whom demonstrated cells with aneuploidy (Gleason score 3+4 = 7). Circulating cells were detected preoperatively, 30 minutes or 3 days postoperatively in 35% of radical prostatectomy cases. Of the patients 13% had detectable circulating cells 30 minutes postoperatively only and 9% had cells harvested on postoperative day 3. Persistence of circulating prostate cancer cells was noted in 13% of men on postoperative day 3. Serum prostate specific antigen level and pathological stage did not appear to be related to harvested cell number. CONCLUSIONS: Prostate cancer cells can be harvested from men with clinically localized disease undergoing sextant needle biopsy or radical prostatectomy. Routine prostate biopsy and surgery may influence the number of measurable circulating cells in the short term but the clinical significance and long-term prevalence of detectable circulating cells are unknown. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of this assay for detecting, staging and monitoring prostate cancer.

Comparison of clinical staging algorithms and 111indium-capromab pendetide immunoscintigraphy in the prediction of lymph node involvement in high risk prostate carcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND: The pretherapy prediction of occult lymph node involvement and the avoidance of otherwise futile and potentially morbid definitive local therapy is paramount in men with newly diagnosed prostate carcinoma. To identify patients with prostate carcinoma who likely have lymph node involvement and would benefit from staging lymphadenectomy prior to definitive local therapy, the authors compared the ability of several predictive staging algorithms and a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody scan to predict lymphatic metastases prior to treatment. METHODS: Between August 1991 and June 1994, 198 men with clinical T2 or T3 classified (TNM) prostate carcinoma (bone scan negative) who were at high risk of lymph node involvement underwent a 111In-capromab pendetide scan prior to staging lymphadenectomy. Several predictive models based on preoperative prostate specific antigen level, biopsy Gleason score, and clinical stage were selected to predict those men having a > or =20% probability of lymph node involvement. The ability to predict pathologic stage using several clinical algorithms and the monoclonal antibody scan was compared with pathologic examination of the lymph nodes. RESULTS: Overall, 39% of the pelvic lymph node specimens were positive for metastatic disease by pathologic analysis. Published algorithms predicting lymph node metastases had a positive predictive value (PPV) ranging from 40.5% to 46.6% and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) ranging from 0.52 to 0.61. The monoclonal antibody scan had a PPV of 66.7% and an AUC of 0.71. The differences between the PPV and the AUC for the individual clinical algorithms when compared with immunoscintigraphy were statistically significant. Combining the radiolabeled monoclonal antibody scan with clinical predictive models, a PPV of up to 72.1% could be obtained. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the PPVs for the clinical predictive algorithms are similar and that the PPV of the radiolabeled monoclonal antibody scan alone or in combination with the algorithms has additional value in predicting lymph node involvement in prostate carcinoma patients at high risk of regional disease spread. These algorithms and the 111In-capromab pendetide scan may be used for the appropriate selection of candidates for definitive local therapy in men with clinically localized prostate carcinoma and significant risk of lymph node involvement.

Minilaparotomy radical retropubic prostatectomy: technique and results.

PURPOSE: A small incision (minilaparotomy) radical retropubic prostatectomy is described and evaluated. A newly designed self-retaining retractor was used as a robot and functioned as a second operative assistant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 522 consecutive patients underwent minilaparotomy radical prostatectomy by a single surgeon (F. F. M.) between 1991 and 1997. The technique of minilaparotomy radical retropubic prostatectomy (a 7 to 8 cm. midline incision) is described in detail. RESULTS: A questionnaire was mailed to all 522 patients and there were 265 responses. Satisfactory continence was achieved in the short term in 85% of patients (0 to 1 pad). Of the patients 83% had a prostate specific antigen of less than 0.2 ng./ml. at average followup of 2.6 years. There was no operative mortality and the overall complication rates were similar to other patients treated by the same department staff with a larger incision. The typical patient was discharged home 3 days postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Minilaparotomy radical retropubic prostatectomy compares favorably with standard radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Ability of sextant biopsies to predict radical prostatectomy stage.

OBJECTIVES: There are few studies evaluating multiple variables on sextant biopsies with the intent to predict stage in radical prostatectomy specimens. METHODS: We studied 113 sextant biopsies with corresponding totally submitted radical prostatectomy specimens. Variables evaluated on sextant biopsies included total length and percent of cancer; maximum length and percent of cancer on one core; location (apex, mid, base); bilaterality; Gleason grade; number of cores involved; serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level; and serum PSA density (PSAD). Radical prostatectomy stage was classified as organ versus non-organ confined. RESULTS: The following variables individually correlated with radical prostatectomy stage: total cancer measured in millimeters (P <0.0001) or percent (P <0.0005); biopsy Gleason score (P <0.0001); number of involved cores (P <0.0001); maximum cancer on one core measured in millimeters (P = 0.0001); maximum percent of cancer on one core (P = 0.01); bilaterality (P = 0.01); PSA level (P = 0.03), and PSAD (P = 0.001). The most predictive sets of two variables that correlated with stage included high Gleason score (P <0.0001) combined with numbers of cores involved (P = 0.002). When biopsies had Gleason scores of 6 or less, two or fewer positive cores, and serum PSA of 0 to 4 ng/mL, 89% were organ confined. When biopsies had Gleason scores of 6 or less with two unilaterally positive cores, 87% were organ confined. In biopsies with Gleason scores of 7 or more and more than one positive core, only 10% were organ confined. CONCLUSIONS: The most important predictors of stage by sextant needle biopsy evaluation are numbers of cores involved with carcinoma and high Gleason score. Bilaterality and serum PSA values improved prediction in two small subgroups. In 37% of our population we were able to predict with a greater than 87% probability the organ-confined versus non-organ-confined status.