Prognostic factors and survival in node-positive (N1) prostate cancer-a prospective study based on data from a Swedish population-based cohort.
OBJECTIVE
At presentation of prostate cancer, patients with proven lymph node metastasis (N1) are comparatively rare. It is difficult to give prognostic information based on the present literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of known risk factors in patients with pelvic node involvement and without distant metastasis.


METHODS
From the population-based, prospective prostate cancer tumour registry of the South-East Region in Sweden, we collected data on all 181 patients with N1, M0 prostate cancer diagnosed from January 1987 to October 2000 with a follow-up to December 2001. Mean follow-up was 62 months. Pre-operative risk factors as age, T-category, serum PSA, tumour grade and also primary treatment given was correlated to the outcome.


RESULTS
Median age at diagnosis was 65 years. Cancer-specific survival was highly variable with 5-year survival of 72%, a median of 8 years and the projected 13-year figure was 31%. T-category, age, PSA or treatment did not affect the outcome while poorly differentiated tumours had a tendency towards lower cancer-specific survival (p=0.0523) when compared to well and moderately differentiated tumours.


CONCLUSIONS
This population-based cohort of prostate cancer patients with pelvic node involvement treated principally with non-curative intent had a median cancer-specific survival of 8 years. Preoperatively known risk factors seem to have but a modest impact on the prognosis for patients in this stage of the disease.
Aus
Gunnar
G
Department of Urology, Sahlgrens University Hospital, 413 45, Göteborg, Sweden. gunnar.aus@vgregion.se
Nordenskjöld
Kerstin
K
Robinson
David
D
Rosell
Johan
J
Varenhorst
Eberhard
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010388:Pelvis; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D012042:Registries; D015996:Survival Rate; D013548:Sweden
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen