title: Oncological outcome of laparoscopic prostatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oncological outcomes including surgical margin status and biological progression-free survival (bPFS) were analyzed in patients who underwent laparoscopic prostatectomy (LRP) only.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 136 patients who underwent LRP only without lymph node metastasis or perioperative supportive therapy between April 2000 and October 2005 were analyzed. All patients received > or =6 months postoperative follow-up. Biological progression was defined as elevation of prostate-specific antigen by >0.2 ng/mL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive margin (ew+) rate was 36.8% and the 3-year bPFS was 72.6% for all patients. Positive margin rates in pT2a-b, pT2c, pT3a and pT3b were 10.0%, 27.5%, 77.3% and 53.8%, respectively. Three-year bPFS rates in pT2, pT3a and pT3b were 91.8%, 66.8% and 44.9%, respectively. Although the positive margin rate at posterior and anterior sites decreased as more patients were recruited, no significant improvements were observed at apex and base sites. Three-year bPFS rates in pT2 ew-, pT2 ew+, pT3 ew- and pT3 ew+ were 95.8%, 85.7%, 81% and 48.5%, respectively, indicating that positive margins exert a greater impact in pT3 disease than in pT2 disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although 3-year bPFS results were almost identical to previous reports of LRP and retropubic radical prostatectomy, the positive margin rate in pT3a disease was particularly high, probably due to immature surgical skill. Although positive margins at posterior and anterior sites decreased with the leaning curve, improvements are needed to reduce positive margin rates at the apex. Positive margins exert greater impact in pT3 disease than in pT2 disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan. hara@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Gaku
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kawabata
authors.forename: Kazushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kanomata
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen