Biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy: a comparison between prostate cancers located in different anatomical zones.
BACKGROUND
To assess whether differences of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy exist between prostate cancers located in the transition zone (TZ) and peripheral zone (PZ).


METHODS
The 5-year biochemical recurrence rate of 307 patients was evaluated. A serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level > or =0.1 ng/ml was defined as biochemical failure. Cancers were characterized by the location of the largest tumor area as TZ or PZ cancers. Pure PZ cancers were matched to TZ cancers by comparable pathological tumor stage, Gleason score, and surgical margin status.


RESULTS
In 63 (20.5%) patients the largest tumor area was located in the TZ. A Kaplan-Meier analysis of the matched pairs calculated an 80% actuarial cure rate of TZ cancers compared to 89% of pure PZ cancers (log-rank test P = 0.742).


CONCLUSIONS
TZ and pure PZ cancers matched by comparable pathological tumor stage, Gleason score, and surgical margin status showed no statistical difference in regard to biochemical cure following radical prostatectomy.
Augustin
Herbert
H
Department of Urology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, University of Hamburg, Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany.
Erbersdobler
Andreas
A
Graefen
Markus
M
Fernandez
Salvador
S
Palisaar
Jüri
J
Huland
Hartwig
H
Hammerer
Peter
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen