BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the perioperative oncological and functional outcomes after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RALP) in older men. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The records of n = 2,000 men who underwent RALP from February 2006 to April 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 45 patients ≥ 75 years were indentified. Subsequently this subgroup was compared to the overall patient cohort with regard to perioperative results, pathological tumor stage, functional outcomes after 12 months and the prostate cancer-specific mortality and biochemical recurrence free survival. RESULTS: The following results reflect the comparison of the cohort of patients who were ≥75 years of age versus the overall cohort of patients. A statistical difference of the parameters analyzed was observed only for minor complications 15.5 % versus 11.4 % (p<0.05), neurovascular bundle (NVB) preservation 51.1 % versus 65.7 % (p<0.05) and potency after 12 months 39.6 % versus 66.2 % (p<0.001). Major complications were noted in 2.2 % versus 1.3 % of cases. A Gleason score <7 was noted in 37.4 % versus 42.8 %, a Gleason score 7 in 51.1 % versus 47.7 % and a Gleason score >7 in 11.6 % versus 9.5 %. Tumor stages pT2 and pT3 were noted in 68.8 % versus 73.5 % and in 31.2 % versus 25.2 %, respectively. The positive surgical margin status was encountered in 11.1 % versus 8.9 % of cases, respectively. At 12 months 86.9 % versus 92.8 % of patients were continent and 39.6 % versus 66.2 % were potent, respectively. After a median follow-up of 17.2 months the prostate cancer-specific mortality in the subgroup of elderly patients was 0 % and the biochemical recurrence-free survival was 95.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The RALP approach in patients ≥75 years of age is a safe surgical procedure with a limited complication rate, excellent oncologic and continence outcomes as well as acceptable erectile function. Nevertheless, RALP should be limited to a selected cohort of patients with a good health status and an individual life expectancy of more than 10 years. For the assessment of the final oncological benefits of RALP in this patient population a longer follow-up is necessary.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the perioperative oncological and functional outcomes after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RALP) in older men. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The records of n = 2,000 men who underwent RALP from February 2006 to April 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 45 patients ≥ 75 years were indentified. Subsequently this subgroup was compared to the overall patient cohort with regard to perioperative results, pathological tumor stage, functional outcomes after 12 months and the prostate cancer-specific mortality and biochemical recurrence free survival. RESULTS: The following results reflect the comparison of the cohort of patients who were ≥75 years of age versus the overall cohort of patients. A statistical difference of the parameters analyzed was observed only for minor complications 15.5 % versus 11.4 % (p<0.05), neurovascular bundle (NVB) preservation 51.1 % versus 65.7 % (p<0.05) and potency after 12 months 39.6 % versus 66.2 % (p<0.001). Major complications were noted in 2.2 % versus 1.3 % of cases. A Gleason score <7 was noted in 37.4 % versus 42.8 %, a Gleason score 7 in 51.1 % versus 47.7 % and a Gleason score >7 in 11.6 % versus 9.5 %. Tumor stages pT2 and pT3 were noted in 68.8 % versus 73.5 % and in 31.2 % versus 25.2 %, respectively. The positive surgical margin status was encountered in 11.1 % versus 8.9 % of cases, respectively. At 12 months 86.9 % versus 92.8 % of patients were continent and 39.6 % versus 66.2 % were potent, respectively. After a median follow-up of 17.2 months the prostate cancer-specific mortality in the subgroup of elderly patients was 0 % and the biochemical recurrence-free survival was 95.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The RALP approach in patients ≥75 years of age is a safe surgical procedure with a limited complication rate, excellent oncologic and continence outcomes as well as acceptable erectile function. Nevertheless, RALP should be limited to a selected cohort of patients with a good health status and an individual life expectancy of more than 10 years. For the assessment of the final oncological benefits of RALP in this patient population a longer follow-up is necessary.
Authors: Axel Heidenreich; Joaquim Bellmunt; Michel Bolla; Steven Joniau; Malcolm Mason; Vsevolod Matveev; Nicolas Mottet; Hans-Peter Schmid; Theo van der Kwast; Thomas Wiegel; Filliberto Zattoni Journal: Eur Urol Date: 2010-10-28 Impact factor: 20.096
Authors: Colin B Begg; Elyn R Riedel; Peter B Bach; Michael W Kattan; Deborah Schrag; Joan L Warren; Peter T Scardino Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2002-04-11 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Lee Richstone; Fernando J Bianco; Hiral H Shah; Michael W Kattan; James A Eastham; Peter T Scardino; Douglas S Scherr Journal: BJU Int Date: 2008-03 Impact factor: 5.588