Reasonable delay of surgical treatment in men with localized prostate cancer--impact on prognosis?

Abstract

In many centers patients with clinically localized prostate cancer might be confronted with a delay in therapy due to not immediately available treatment capacity at that specific center. Furthermore, a growing amount of patients want to have a second or third opinion before they finally decide what therapeutic option to choose. We investigated whether a reasonable delay from diagnosis to definitive treatment impact recurrence free survival rates in men undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer. Preoperative data of 795 men treated for localized prostate cancer by RP between 1/1992 and 6/2000 were evaluated including pretreatment PSA, clinical stage and biopsy Gleason score. In addition, time from biopsy to the date of RP was obtained and investigated as a potential prognostic factor. The influence of the time gap between biopsy and surgery was statistically evaluated by univariate Cox regression analyses and Kaplan-Meier analyses; a multivariate Cox Modell was performed including all preoperative parameters. Relapse following RP was defined as a postoperative PSA level >0.1 ng/ml. Mean followup of the patients was 33 months (1-116 months). Twenty-five percent of the patients failed during that time period. Mean time gap between diagnosis and treatment was 62 days (median 54 days) ranging from 5 to 518 days. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed no significant correlation (p=0.062) of waiting time with recurrence rate. Multivariate Cox regression documented a highly significant association of PSA (p<0.001), clinical stage (p=0.001) and biopsy Gleason grade (p<0.001) but not not for time to treatment (p=0.841). In patients with high-grade cancer again no significant impact of treatment delay was found. Treatment delay in the investigated time span of a few months did not adversely affect recurrence free survival rates. Patients can be reassured that they can evaluate treatment options without compromising efficacy due to a delay in treatment.