Oncological results at 2 years after robotic radical prostatectomy - the Romanian experience.
BACKGROUND
To assess the oncological outcomes of robotic radical prostatectomy in a country where there are no on-going national screening programs for prostate cancer.


METHODS
Between November 2009 and November 2014, 220 robotic radical prostatectomies were performed at our Robotic Surgery Center. We already have the complete data for the 2-year follow-up of the first 105 patients, who were therefore included in the study group. Pre-operative (age, prostate-specific antigen, body-mass index, prostate volume, clinical staging, biopsy characteristics), post-operative (surgical technique, surgical margin status, lymph node status, pathological stage, Gleason score) and follow-up parameters (biochemical recurrence) were assessed.


RESULTS
The global rate of positive surgical margins was 34.3%, with rates of 17.2% in stage pT2 and 55.3% in stage pT3. The most frequent localization for positive surgical margins was at the base and apex of the prostate. The positive surgical margins rate was correlated with the pre-operative prostate-specific antigen, clinical and pathological Gleason score, lymph node status and the number of positive biopsy cores. The rate of biochemical recurrence at the 2-year follow-up was 11.8%. The most important predictors for the biochemical recurrence were the positive surgical margins, pathological staging and Gleason score on the prostatectomy specimen.


CONCLUSIONS
Robotic surgery is validated by the oncological results at medium follow-up (2 years) for localized and locally advanced prostate cancer, even in countries where there is no on-going national screening program.
Clinical Municipal Hospital, Urology Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Iulia
I
Andras
Clinical Municipal Hospital, Urology Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Nicolae
N
Crisan
University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Radu-Tudor
RT
Coman
Clinical Municipal Hospital, Urology Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Horia
H
Logigan
Clinical County Hospital, Radiology Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Flavia
F
Epure
Clinical Municipal Hospital, Urology Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Dan Vasile
DV
Stanca
Clinical Municipal Hospital, Urology Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Ioan
I
Coman
prostatic neoplasms; radical prostatectomy; robotic surgical procedures