Long-term survival after radical prostatectomy for men with high Gleason sum in pathologic specimen.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the long-term outcomes of patients with high Gleason sum 8-10 at radical prostatectomy (RP) and to identify the predictors of prostate cancer-specific survival (CSS) in this cohort.


METHODS
The institutional RP database was queried. A total of 9381 patients with complete follow-up underwent RP from 1982 to 2008. Of these 9381 patients, 1061 had pathologic Gleason sum 8-10 cancer. The patient and prostate cancer characteristics were evaluated. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate proportional hazard regression models were created to evaluate the pertinent predictors of CSS (death from, or attributed to, prostate cancer).


RESULTS
The median preoperative prostate-specific antigen level was 7.6 ng/mL; 435 men had clinical Stage T1 tumor, 568 had Stage T2, and 36 had Stage T3. The biopsy Gleason sum was <7, 7, and >7 in 244 (22.3%), 406 (37.2%), and 425 (38.9%) patients, respectively. The median follow-up was 5 years (range 1-23). The actuarial 15-year recurrence-free survival, CSS, and overall survival rate was 20.7%, 57.4%, and 45.4%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the predictors of poor CSS were pathologic Gleason sum 9-10 and seminal vesicle and lymph node involvement. Patients with pathologic Gleason sum 8 and organ-confined disease had a CSS rate of 89.9% at 15 years.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study have shown that 80% of the men with Gleason sum 8-10 who undergo RP will have experienced biochemical recurrence by 15 years. However, the CSS rate approached 90% for men with pathologic organ-confined disease. Higher pathologic Gleason sum 9-10 and seminal vesicle and lymph node involvement were independent predictors of worse CSS.
Pierorazio
Phillip M
PM
James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. philpierorazio@jhmi.edufax
Guzzo
Thomas J
TJ
Han
Misop
M
Bivalacqua
Trinity J
TJ
Epstein
Jonathan I
JI
Schaeffer
Edward M
EM
Schoenberg
Mark
M
Walsh
Patrick C
PC
Partin
Alan W
AW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome