Trends in the curative treatment of localized prostate cancer after the introduction of prostate-specific antigen: data from the Rotterdam Cancer Registry

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in the incidence and treatment of prostate cancer over the period in which new diagnostic tools were introduced and the attitude towards treatment was changing. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Information on the extent of disease and treatment of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer within the Rotterdam region was retrieved from the Rotterdam Cancer Registry. RESULTS: In the period 1989-95, 4344 patients were diagnosed with prostate cancer and the age-standardized incidence increased from 62 to 125 per 100 000 men. This increase mainly comprised tumours localized to the prostate, while the incidence of advanced cancers remained stable. The proportion of poorly differentiated tumours decreased from 33% in 1989 to 24% in 1995. In the same period the number of patients receiving radiotherapy increased from 80 to 258, while the annual number of radical prostatectomies rose from 17 to 159. Radiotherapy was the preferred type of treatment in patients over 70 years of age, whereas radical prostatectomy was used more frequently in younger patients with localized tumours. CONCLUSION: While the value of screening for prostate cancer remains in debate, incidence and treatment patterns are changing rapidly. Information on patterns of care is needed to interpret future mortality data and to plan resources for adequate health care.     

Neodymium-YAG laser in the treatment of localized prostate cancer

The combination of transurethral resection and subsequent Neodymium-YAG laser irradiation has been practiced for radical treatment of localized prostate cancer since 1981. One hundred and eighteen patients have been treated and the observation time ranges 6-98 months. The treatment is performed endoscopically in two separate steps. The procedure is simple and complications are few. One hundred and four patients are evaluated as disease-free survivors. The overall actuarial disease-free survival rate is 88% in the 4-8 year period. The results compare satisfactorily with results obtained by other methods. Recently published results from other clinics confirm the laser to be promising in the treatment of localized prostate cancer.     

Comorbidity and primary treatment for localized prostate cancer: data from CaPSURE

PURPOSE: The optimal approach for treating localized prostate cancer remains controversial, leading to a multifactorial decision making process. We characterized the extent to which the presence and number of comorbidities affects treatment for localized prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were abstracted from a longitudinal observational database of men with prostate cancer. A total of 5,149 men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 1995 and 2001 were included in this analysis if they had been treated with RP, external beam radiation, brachytherapy, hormonal therapy or surveillance. Comorbidity was assessed through a patient reported checklist of conditions. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the OR of the likelihood of receiving each type of therapy. The number of comorbidities and specific comorbidities in patients receiving RP were compared with comorbidities in patients receiving other treatment. RESULTS: The adjusted OR showed a dose response between the number of comorbidities and an increasing probability of any nonRP treatment. In addition, heart disease, stroke or another urinary condition were found to be associated with treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Patient comorbidities affect decision making regarding treatment for localized prostate cancer. Urologists and other physicians treating this disease appear to evaluate patient comorbidities when selecting treatment options.     

局限性前列腺癌治疗进展

局限性前列腺癌的治疗近年发展很快,本文就局限性前列腺癌初次治疗前危险分类,治疗方法的合理选择,初次治疗后肿瘤的生化进展及临床复发处理的进展作一综述。     

Review of the comparative effectiveness of radical prostatectomy,radiation therapy,or expectant management of localized prostate cancer in registry data

Summary

Evidence regarding the effectiveness of treatment for prostate cancer is primarily based on randomized controlled trials. Long-term outcomes are generally difficult to evaluate within experimental studies and may benefit from large pools of observational data. We conducted a systematic review of administrative and registry studies to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer on overall and prostate-cancer specific mortality.

Transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of localized prostate cancer

The literature concerning the efficacy and safety of transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of localized prostate cancer still comprises a relatively small number of articles. The main studies have been published by four teams using an apparatus available in Europe for several years. The recently presented results of the European Multicentre Study and the study by Gelet and associates based on 242 patients with a follow-up of more than 1 year show that HIFU is a valid alternative for the management of welldifferentiated and moderately differentiated localized prostate cancer with an initial PSA 10 years. In two studies, the combination of transurethral resection of the prostate and HIFU limited the risk of postoperative urinary retention without inducing a higher complication rate. In a series of patients presenting recurrence after external-beam radiotherapy, HIFU was found to be a useful therapy, with >80% negative biopsies. The best indications for HIFU are men over the age of 65, those who are not candidates for radical prostatectomy, obese patients, or patients with comorbidities likely to make surgery more difficult. The learning curve for this technique is relatively short, between 10 and 15 patients, for urologists experienced in transrectal ultrasonography. One of the advantages of HIFU is that it can be repeated in the case of recurrence or to re-treat a prostatic site, it involves no radiation, and patients do not suffer from long-term irritative urinary symptoms.     

Cryosurgery as primary treatment for localized prostate cancer

Objective  

To present the early results of the use of third-generation cryotherapy as primary treatment for localized prostate cancer in China.     

Making decisions about treatment for localized prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE: To describe the decision-making processes used by men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer who were considering treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Men newly diagnosed with localized prostate cancer from outpatient urology clinics and urologists' private practices were approached before treatment. Their decision-making processes and information-seeking behaviour was assessed; demographic information was also obtained. RESULTS: Of 119 men approached, 108 (90%) were interviewed; 91% reported non-systematic decision processes, with deferral to the doctor, positive and negative recollections of others' cancer experiences, and the pre-existing belief that surgery is a better cancer treatment being most common. For systematic information processing the mean (sd, range) number of items considered was 4.19 (2.28, 0-11), with 57% of men considering four or fewer treatment/medical aspects of prostate cancer. Men most commonly considered cancer stage (59%), urinary incontinence (55%) and impotence (51%) after surgery, and low overall mortality (45%). Uncertainty about probabilities for cure was reported by 43% of men and fear of cancer spread by 37%. Men also described uncertainty about the probabilities of side-effects (27%), decisional uncertainty (25%) and anticipated decisional regret (18%). Overall, 73% of men sought information about prostate cancer from external sources, most commonly the Internet, followed by family and friends. CONCLUSIONS: In general, men did not use information about medical treatments comprehensively or systematically when making treatment decisions, and their processing of medical information was biased by their previous beliefs about cancer and health. These findings have implications for the provision of informational and decisional support to men considering prostate cancer treatment.     

Urinary incontinence after treatment for localized prostate cancer

The incidence of incontinence after radical prostatectomy has ranged from 0 to 57% depending on the series and the type of incontinence considered. When total incontinence (not minimal stress incontinence) is reported, the average incidence is no more than 5%. This figure will increase with age, and in most series, approximately 10% of patients around the age of 70 will have total incontinence postoperatively. Preservation of continence after radical prostatectomy depends largely on the preservation of the distal urethral smooth-muscle sphincteric mechanism, which begins at the pelvic floor and ends at the prostatourethral junction. Newer techniques that attempt to increase postoperative continence include not cutting the puboprostatic ligaments and attempting to preserve as much striated muscle as possible along the length of the remaining urethra. Patients who are incontinent for 6 months after the surgery with no evidence of improvement will probably not become continent on their own. Therefore, some type of therapy should be considered. The options are periurethral injection of a bulking agent, implantation of an artificial sphincter, and, most recently, a bulbourethral sling procedure.     

Treatment of localized prostate cancer using high-intensity focused ultrasound

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the biochemical disease-free survival (DFS), predictors of clinical outcome and morbidity of patients with localized prostate cancer treated with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), a noninvasive treatment that induces complete coagulative necrosis of a tumour at depth through the intact skin. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 63 patients with stage T1c-2bN0M0 localized prostate cancer underwent HIFU using the Sonablate system (Focus Surgery, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, USA). None of the patients received neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant therapy. Biochemical recurrence was defined according to the criteria recommended by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus definition, i.e. three consecutive increases in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level after the nadir. The median (range) age, PSA level and follow-up were 71 (45-87) years, 8.5 (3.39-57.0) ng/mL and 22.0 (3-63) months, respectively. RESULTS: The overall biochemical disease-free rate was 75% (47 patients). The 3-year biochemical DFS rates for patients with a PSA level before HIFU of <10, 10.01-20 and >20 ng/mL were 82%, 62% and 20% (P < 0.001), respectively. The 3-year biochemical DFS rates for patients with a PSA nadir of <0.2, 0.21-1 and >1 ng/mL were 100%, 74% and 21% (P < 0.001), respectively. Final follow-up sextant biopsies showed that 55 (87%) of the patients were cancer-free. Multivariate analysis showed that the PSA nadir (P < 0.001) was a significant independent predictor of relapse. CONCLUSION: HIFU therapy appears to be a safe, effective and minimally invasive therapy for patients with localized prostate cancer, and the PSA nadir is a useful predictor of clinical outcome.     

Histopathological evaluation of radical prostatectomy in the treatment of localized prostate cancer

Incidence of prostate cancer has risen dramatically in the past decade. Radical prostatectomy is indicated in patients who have disease localized to the prostate. The aim of the study is to make histopathological evaluation of radical prostatectomy in the treatment local prostate cancer. Authors analyzed 49 cases of radical prostatectomy due to cancer localized to the prostate in period 1996-2000 in Clinic of Urology in Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade. The average age of the patients was 65, 6 years (range 44-76, pick 61-70). The most cases 25 (51%, p < 0.001) we found in pT2a N0M0, in pT2b N1M0 9 (18.36%), in pT3bN0M0 10 (20.4%), in pT3bN1M0 3 (6.12%), in pT4aN0M0 2 (4.08%). Nodal status positive was in 12 cases: 9 (18%) in pT2bN1M0- iliac 3 (right 2, left 1), obturatory 6 (right 1, left 5) and 3 cases in pT3bN1M0-iliac left 1 and obturatory 2 (1 right and 1 left). We found Gleason score 8 in 9 cases (18.36%) in pT2bN1M0 versus 7 cases (14.5%) without nodal metastases. Gleason score 9 we found in 3 cases (6.1%) in pT3bN1M0 versus one case without nodal metastases (difference is not significant). Gleason score 3 was in 6.1%, 4 in 12.2%, 5 in 8.1%, 6 in 16, 3%, 7 in 24.5%. Grade 1 of tumors we found in 9 cases (18%), grade 2 in 11 (22%), grade 3 in 29 (60%). HG PIN was in 18 cases (36.7%), LG PIN in 10 (20.4%). In all cases was elevated PSA: 4-10 mmol/L in 24 pts, 11-20 in 15 pts and > 20 in 10 pts. Radical prostatectomy is most adequate method in surgical treatment cancer localized in the prostate. Pelvic lymphadenectomy is necessary for staging purposes in adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Early detection adenocarcinoma of the prostate is important factor in decreasing rate of death.     

Brachyterapy in localized prostate cancer

Introduction and objectivesConsidering the high frequency of localized prostate cancer in stages, at the moment there are minimally invasive techniques that compete with the classic surgery. One of them is the Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy with permanent implants of I125 seeds.The objective of the present study is to expose our experience from the year 1998, when we made the first treatment, until today. The results and the morbidity of the patients over a 7 and a half years period are analyzed.Material and methodsA total of 800 patients were treated with LDR brachytherapy, with average age of 68 years and range between 48 and 83 years. In all patients the I125 seeds were used with Rapid-Strand and peripheral load by means of intraoperative planning.ResultsThe urinary rate of complications was of 3% of AUR, and 0.2% of urinary incontinence. The morbidity on the digestive apparatus was of a 12% intermittent bleeding, 2% of proctitis, and a 0.3% of rectal fistulas     

Five years experience of transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound using the Sonablate device in the treatment of localized prostate cancer

BACKGROUND: High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a minimally invasive technique used in achieve coagulation necrosis. We evaluated biochemical disease-free survival rates, predictors of clinical outcome and morbidity in patients with localized prostate cancer treated with HIFU. METHODS: A total of 181 consecutive patients underwent HIFU with the use of Sonablate (Focus Surgery, Indianapolis, IN, USA). Biochemical recurrence was defined according to the criteria recommended by the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Consensus Panel. The median age and pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level were 70 years (range 44-88) and 9.76 ng/mL (range 3.39-89.60). A total of 95 patients (52%) were treated with neoadjuvant hormones. The median follow-up period for all patients was 18.0 months (range 4-68). RESULTS: The biochemical disease-free survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years in all patients were 84%, 80% and 78%, respectively. The biochemical disease-free survival rates at 3 years for patients with pretreatment PSA less than 10 ng/mL, 10.01-20.0 ng/mL and more than 20.0 ng/mL were 94%, 75% and 35%, respectively (P<0.0001). Multivariate analysis identified pretreatment PSA (P<0.0001) as a independent predictor of relapse. CONCLUSION: High-intensity focused ultrasound therapy appears to be a safe and efficacious minimally invasive therapy for patients with localized prostate cancer, especially those with a pretreatment PSA level less than 20 ng/mL.     

The case for no initial treatment of localized prostate cancer

This contribution summarizes the evidence from the natural history and pathology of this disease that, given the high incidence of latent cancer, a policy of radical treatment at diagnosis will represent over-treatment in the majority of cases. As yet, neither radical prostatectomy nor radical radiotherapy has been shown to be effective in managing the poorly differentiated tumor in the patient with "localized" disease. For the patient with well-differentiated disease, there is little evidence that early treatment is mandatory, because the majority of these patients will not die of prostatic cancer. The adoption of a policy of diagnosis followed by active surveillance would spare many patients the hazard and discomfort of a major operation or of a course of radiotherapy, would minimize expenditure, and would ensure that treatment was given only to those patients in whom progression had been demonstrated. Such an approach is almost certain to be as effective as treatment at diagnosis. Confirmation of this view is likely to be obtained from the existing studies of immediate versus delayed orchiectomy or LHRH therapy currently being undertaken by the Urological Working Party of the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom and the Urological Group of the EORTC within Europe.