Prostate cancer disease-free survival after radical retropubic prostatectomy in patients older than 70 years compared to younger cohorts.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) as an option for treating men older than 70 years with organ confined prostate cancer and to compare biochemical progression-free survival with younger cohorts.


METHODS
A total of 689 consecutive patients who were treated with RRP from 1994 to 2002 for clinically localized prostate cancer were categorized into 3 different age groups: younger than 50 years (n = 49), 50-70 years (n = 601), and older than 70 years (n = 39). Patients older than 70 years were healthy individuals for their age. Preoperative and postoperative cancer-specific characteristics were compared among these 3 groups.


RESULTS
There was no statistical significant difference among the 3 age strata in terms of clinical parameters (prostate-specific antigen, Gleason score, clinical stage, percent and number of positive biopsy cores) and pathologic findings (surgical margin, lymph node status, extracapsular extension, lymphovascular invasion, and pathologic Gleason score). The rate of seminal vesicle invasion and prostate volume increased with advancing age (P = 0.034 and P < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age was not associated with seminal vesicle invasion. The 5-year prostate-specific antigen progression-free estimates for patients younger than 50, 50-70, and older than 70 years were 82% (95% confidence interval [CI] 69% to 96%), 82% (95% CI 78% to 86%), and 65% (95% CI 43% to 86%), respectively (P = 0.349). The overall and cause-specific mortalities were not different.


CONCLUSIONS
RRP could be considered a standard treatment option in men older than 70 years with localized prostate cancer. Further studies are necessary to assess the survival benefit and health-related quality of life after radical prostatectomy versus watchful waiting in patients older than 70 years.
Malaeb
Bahaa S
BS
Department of Urology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Rashid
Hani H
HH
Lotan
Yair
Y
Khoddami
Seyyed M
SM
Shariat
Shahrokh F
SF
Sagalowsky
Arthur I
AI
McConnell
John D
JD
Roehrborn
Claus G
CG
Koeneman
Kenneth S
KS
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen