Salvage radiotherapy in patients with persistently detectable PSA or PSA rising from an undetectable range after radical prostatectomy gives comparable results

Impact of persistent PSA after salvage radical prostatectomy: a multicenter study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Persistent prostatic specific antigen (PSA) represents a poor prognostic factor for recurrence after radical prostatectomy (RP). However, the impact of persistent PSA on oncologic outcomes in patients undergoing salvage RP is unknown. To investigate the impact of persistent PSA after salvage RP on long-term oncologic outcomes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Patients who underwent salvage RP for recurrent prostate cancer between 2000 and 2021 were identified from twelve high-volume centers. Only patients with available PSA after salvage RP were included. Kaplan-Meier analyses and multivariable Cox regression models were used to test the effect of persistent PSA on biochemical recurrence (BCR), metastasis and any death after salvage RP. Persistent PSA was defined as a PSA-value ≥ 0.1 ng/ml, at first PSA-measurement after salvage RP.

RESULTS

Overall, 580 patients were identified. Of those, 42% (n = 242) harbored persistent PSA. Median follow-up after salvage RP was 38 months, median time to salvage RP was 64 months and median time to first PSA after salvage RP was 2.2 months. At 84 months after salvage RP, BCR-free, metastasis-free, and overall survival was 6.6 vs. 59%, 71 vs. 88% and 77 vs. 94% for patients with persistent vs. undetectable PSA after salvage RP (all p < 0.01). In multivariable Cox models persistent PSA was an independent predictor for BCR (HR: 5.47, p < 0.001) and death (HR: 3.07, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Persistent PSA is common after salvage RP and represents an independent predictor for worse oncologic outcomes. Patients undergoing salvage RP should be closely monitored after surgery to identify those with persistent PSA.

Clinicopathological and oncological significance of persistent prostate-specific antigen after radical prostatectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

To investigate the association of persistently elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) after radical prostatectomy (RP) with clinicopathological features and long-term oncological prognosis for the development of a potential management strategy.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed and Web of Science up to June 2021 to identify the eligible studies focusing on understanding the impact of persistent PSA in patients who underwent RP for localized prostate cancer. Meta-analyses were performed on parameters with available information.

Results

A total of 32 RP studies were identified, of which 11 included 26 719 patients with consecutive cohorts and the remaining 21 comprised 24 177 patients with cohorts carrying specific restrictions. Of the 11 studies with consecutive cohorts, the incidence of persistent PSA varied between 3.1% and 34.6% with a median of 11.0%. Meta-analyses revealed patients with persistent PSA consistently showed unfavorable clinicopathological features and a more than 3.5-fold risk of poorer biochemical recurrence, metastasis, and prostate cancer-specific mortality prognosis independently, when compared to patients with undetectable PSA. Similarly, cases with persistent PSA in different specific patient cohorts with a higher risk of prostate cancer also showed a trend of worse outcomes.

Conclusion

We found that the frequency of persistent PSA was about 11.0% in consecutive RP cohorts. Persistent PSA was significantly associated with unfavorable clinicopathological characteristics and worse oncological outcomes. Patients with persistent PSA after RP may benefit from early salvage treatment to delay or prevent biochemical recurrence, improving oncological outcomes for these patients. Further prospective randomized controlled trials are warranted to understand optimal systemic therapy in these patients.

Management of Persistently Elevated Prostate-specific Antigen After Radical Prostatectomy: A Systematic Review of the Literature

CONTEXT

The prognosis and optimal management of pN0/pN1 patients with persistently elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) 6-8 wk after radical prostatectomy (RP) remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To perform a systematic review of oncologic outcomes and effectiveness of salvage therapies in men with a detectable PSA level after RP.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

A systematic review was performed in May 2020. A total of 2374 articles were screened, and 25 studies including 5217 men were selected and included in the systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

PSA persistence was most commonly defined as PSA >0.1 ng/ml. PSA persistence was significantly correlated with disease aggressiveness and associated with worse oncologic outcomes than in men with undetectable PSA levels. The 5-yr recurrence-free survival rates varied from 21.5% to 67.0%. The ≥10-yr cancer-specific survival was 75-88%. Salvage radiotherapy ± androgen deprivation therapy was associated with improved survival outcomes. Risk stratification according to pathologic features, PSA levels/kinetics, and genomic classifier may aid in personalization of treatment. The usefulness of molecular imaging in this setting remains underevaluated. Main limitations of this systematic review are the retrospective design of the included studies and the lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on this specific population.

CONCLUSIONS

PSA persistence after RP is strongly correlated with poor oncologic outcomes. Our review suggests a benefit from immediate radiotherapy; however, current evidence is still low. Indication of subsequent therapies should be based on individual discussions, taking into account all the prognostic factors and the efficacy/toxicity imbalance of proposed treatment. Results from ongoing RCTs are awaited to state on the role of more intensified systemic therapy in this population.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Patients with a detectable prostate-specific antigen level after surgery are at high risk of subsequent progression. Immediate radiotherapy might improve survival outcomes. Further research into the role of molecular imaging and genomic classifier is needed in this patient population.

Predictors for lower urinary tract symptoms and the urinary specific quality of life in prostate cancer patients: One-year follow-up

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and is becoming a growing concern in global epidemiology. Quality of life of patients has become a major outcome for cancer care but limited study investigated quality of life of PCa patients. Our study is to investigate predictors for treatment outcomes of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), nocturia, and the urinary specific quality of life (uQoL) in PCa patients one year following treatment.

METHODS

A prospective study of 131 consecutive patients was conducted with outcome measurements before treatment, at 3 months, 6 months, and one year following therapy. We utilized the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire to collect data. Generalized estimating equations were performed to identify predictors for major outcomes of LUTS, nocturia, and uQoL.

RESULTS

LUTS increased slightly over time, but nocturia and uQoL were improved from baseline to 12 months. Results of the interaction analysis indicated that patients with TNM stage 3 compared with those with stage 2 had a reduction in LUTS from diagnosis to 6 months. Patients who received surgery or radiation compared to hormone therapy had worse nocturia from diagnosis to 6 months compared to those of patients who received hormone therapy. Higher body mass index (BMI) decreased the uQoL from diagnosis to 3 months, and higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level deteriorated the uQoL from diagnosis to 12 months.

CONCLUSION

TNM stage and BMI affected the LUTS. Patients undergone a prostatectomy or radiation therapy showed more frequency of nocturia, BMI and PSA were also risk factors for nocturia. Moreover, patients' age, BMI, and PSA affected uQoL. In such patients, we recommend close monitoring of patients' specific characteristics such as TNM stage, BMI, and PSA for a better quality of life.

Salvage radiotherapy in prostate cancer patients with biochemical relapse after radical prostatectomy : Prolongation of prostate-specific antigen doubling time in patients with subsequent biochemical progression

BACKGROUND

In patients with prostate cancer (PCa) and biochemical progression (BP) after radical prostatectomy (RP), salvage radiotherapy (sRT) improves prostate cancer-specific survival (PCSS), but this evidence is based only on retrospective data.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In addition to our previous study of 151 patients with PCa and BP after RP, we performed univariate analyses of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics during sRT. In 11 patients with BP or initiation of hormonal treatment (HT) within 180 days after sRT, risk factors were assessed using Mann-Whitney U tests. PSA doubling times (PSADT) before and after sRT in 82 patients with BP after sRT were compared by a Wilcoxon test.

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 82 months, analysis of PSA kinetics during sRT did not show a statistically significant impact on a subsequent BP, PCSS, or overall survival at an administered dose of 30 or 45 Gy. The subgroup analysis of patients with early BP or early HT revealed higher Gleason scores (p = 0.008) and preoperative PSA values (p = 0.005), shorter PSADT prior to sRT (p < 0.0005), and longer time intervals from RP until the start of sRT (p = 0.005) compared to all other patients. In patients with subsequent BP, PSADTs were significantly prolonged after sRT (median PSADT 4.5 months before and 9.9 months after sRT, p < 0.0005).

CONCLUSION

PSA monitoring during sRT did not predict the therapeutic success. Subgroup analysis suggests a lower probability of benefit for patients with the abovenamed risk factors . However, the prolonged PSADT after sRT reflects a benefit of sRT for the vast majority of patients.

Impact of Postoperative Radiotherapy in Men with Persistently Elevated Prostate-specific Antigen After Radical Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer: A Long-term Survival Analysis

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) patients with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) persistence after radical prostatectomy (RP) are at increased risk of mortality, although the natural history of these men is heterogeneous and the optimal management has not been established.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a model to predict cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and to test the impact of radiotherapy (RT) on survival in this setting.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

We identified 496 patients treated with RP and lymph node dissection at two referral centers between 1994 and 2014 who had PSA persistence, defined as a PSA level between 0.1 and 2 ng/ml at 6-8 wk after RP.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSES

A multivariable model predicting CSM was developed. We assessed whether the impact of postoperative PSA levels on survival differed according to baseline CSM risk. The nonparametric curve fitting method was then used to explore the relationship between baseline CSM risk and 10-yr CSM rates according to postoperative RT.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Median follow-up for survivors was 110 mo. Overall, 49 patients experienced CSM. The 10-yr CSM-free survival was 88%. Pathologic grade group and pathologic stage were independent predictors of CSM (all p=0.01). The association between CSM-free survival and PSA at 6-8 wk differed by the baseline CSM risk, whereby the effect of increasing PSA was evident only in patients with a CSM risk of ≥10%. Postoperative RT was beneficial when the predicted risk of CSM was ≥30% (p=0.001 by an interaction test). Our study is limited by its retrospective design.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing PSA levels should be considered as predictors of mortality exclusively in men with worse pathologic characteristics. Postoperative RT in this setting was associated with a survival benefit in patients with a CSM risk of ≥30%. Conversely, individuals with a CSM risk of <30% should be initially managed expectantly.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Not all patients with prostate-specific antigen persistence have a poor prognosis. Pathologic characteristics should be used to estimate the risk of cancer-specific mortality in these individuals and to identify patients who could benefit from postoperative radiotherapy.

Significance of early prostate-specific antigen values after salvage radiotherapy in recurrent prostate cancer patients treated with surgery

OBJECTIVES

To assess the use of post-salvage radiotherapy prostate-specific antigen for early prediction of biochemical failure or clinical recurrence after salvage radiotherapy in recurrent prostate cancer patients after prostatectomy.

METHODS

From 2000 to 2011, 164 patients were treated with salvage radiotherapy alone for recurrent prostate cancer. Patients who received androgen deprivation therapy before or within 1 month of the termination of salvage radiotherapy were excluded. Survival analysis was carried out with: (i) a selected prostate-specific antigen reference value (0.2 ng/mL) at the second follow-up period (4 months) after salvage radiotherapy (prostate-specific antigen value over 0.2 ng/mL at post-salvage radiotherapy 4 months); and (ii) prostate-specific antigen percent decline (post-salvage radiotherapy 4 months prostate-specific antigen/pre-salvage radiotherapy prostate-specific antigen).

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 53.4 months (range 8.5-134.1 months). The 5-year clinical recurrence-free survival was 87.9%. Prostate-specific antigen percent decline of 0.45 was set as the cut-off value for clinical recurrence-free survival based on the receiver operating characteristics curve. In the multivariate analysis, a prostate-specific antigen value over 0.2 ng/mL at post-salvage radiotherapy 4 months (P = 0.013) and prostate-specific antigen percent decline ≥ 0.45 (P = 0.002) were both significant parameters predicting clinical recurrence-free survival. Otherwise, prostate-specific antigen percent decline ≥ 0.45 was the only statistically significant predictor of biochemical failure-free survival (biochemical failure-free survival after salvage radiotherapy).

CONCLUSIONS

A prostate-specific antigen value over 0.2 ng/mL at post-salvage radiotherapy 4 months and prostate-specific antigen percent decline ≥ 0.45 are negative predictors of clinical recurrence-free survival after salvage radiotherapy. Prostate-specific antigen percent decline ≥ 0.45 is also associated with worse biochemical failure-free survival after salvage radiotherapy. Patients with delayed prostate-specific antigen decrease should be carefully observed for clinical recurrence.

Salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy: prediction of biochemical outcomes

Introduction

A significant proportion of patients undergoing salvage radiotherapy (RT) for biochemical recurrence (BCR) following radical prostatectomy (RP) may again experience BCR after salvage RT. Thus, we evaluated the clinical significances of different parameters on the biochemical outcome of RT in salvage setting.

Methods

We reviewed the records of 212 patients who underwent salvage RT between November 2003 and December 2012 for BCR following primary RP. BCR-free survivals after salvage RT were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the impacts of clinicopathologic parameters on BCR following salvage RT.

Results

The overall median follow-up duration was 63.5 months. The BCR-free survival rate after salvage RT was 58.2% at 5 years. Multivariate analysis showed that a pre-RT prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of ≤0.5 ng/mL, a pre-RT PSA doubling time (PSADT) of >4.5 months, concomitant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with salvage RT, and a positive surgical margin were independent predictors of favorable biochemical outcomes after salvage RT (hazard ratios [HR] = 3.012, 1.132, 2.000, and 1.805, respectively, p = less than 0.001, 0.013, 0.005, and 0.036, respectively). In the early (pre-RT PSA ≤0.5 ng/mL) salvage RT setting, concomitant ADT administration was also shown to be significantly associated with higher risk of BCR-free survival following salvage RT (HR = 2.611, p = 0.038).

Conclusion

Lower pre-RT PSA value, longer PSADT before salvage RT, concomitant ADT administration, and a positive surgical margin were significant predictors of favorable biochemical outcomes following salvage RT performed for BCR after primary RP.