Lymph node positive prostate cancer: long-term survival data after radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: We retrospectively reviewed the outcome in our patients with prostate cancer and regional positive lymph nodes who underwent prostatectomy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1984 and December 2002, 147 men were found to have local lymph node metastases after surgery, of whom 135 underwent further androgen ablation, including 88% within 6 weeks after prostatectomy. We especially determined overall, cancer specific and progression-free survival rates.
RESULTS: Median patient age was 63.2 years (range 46 to 75 years). Postoperative followup was up to 214 months (median 41.9). There was 1 death secondary to surgery. To date 49 patients (33.3%) had disease progression, including 6 with a prostate specific antigen increase later than 100 months after surgery, and 36 (24.5%) died, including 22 of prostate cancer and 14 of other causes. Overall and cause specific survival probabilities at 5, 10 and 15 years were 76.6% and 86.5%, 60.1% and 73.7%, and 47.2% and 57.9%, respectively. Median overall survival was 144 months and median cancer specific survival was greater than 145 months. Overall progression-free probabilities at 5, 10 and 15 years were 72.7%, 49.8% and 31.6%, respectively. Biochemical progression-free survival rates were 77.4% after 5, 53.0% after 10 and 33.7% after 15 years.
CONCLUSIONS: Since three-quarters of our patients were likely not to die of prostate cancer within the 10 years after surgery despite histological evidence of lymph node metastases, radical prostatectomy with or without hormonal therapy is a viable option for patients with local lymph node involvement, particularly in view of long-term survival.