title: The length of positive surgical margins correlates with biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prognostic role of the length of a positive surgical margin (+SM) for biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostatic cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consecutive RP specimens (n = 267) with +SM were analysed. All RP specimens were sectioned at 4-mm intervals and completely embedded. Data were analysed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and proportional hazards models. In 267 patients the length of +SM ranged from 0.4 to 174.5 mm (median 11.2 mm) and correlated with preoperative prostate specific antigen (PSA) (P < 0.001), pathological stage (P < 0.001), tumour volume (P = 0.001), number of +SM (P < 0.001), Gleason grade at +SM (P < 0.001) and Gleason score (P = 0.015). Patients with detectable postoperative PSA levels (n = 34) or adjuvant therapy (n = 59) were excluded from BCR analysis. In the remaining 174 patients the 5-year risk of BCR was 29%; in patients with +SM <or=10 mm and >10 mm this was 21% and 39%, respectively. On multivariable analysis BCR was associated with an increasing length of +SM (<or=10 mm versus >10 mm; hazard ratio 2.15; 95% confidence interval 1.12, 4.15; P = 0.022).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The length of +SM is an independent prognostic factor for BCR in patients with undetectable PSA after RP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Inge M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: van Oort
authors.forename: H Maxim
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Bruins
authors.forename: Lambertus A L M
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kiemeney
authors.forename: Ben C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Knipscheer
authors.forename: J Alfred
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Witjes
authors.forename: Christina A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hulsbergen-van de Kaa
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012008:Recurrence; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen