Can radical prostatectomy benefit patients despite the presence of regional metastases?

Cytoreductive radical prostatectomy in metastatic prostate cancer: Does it really make sense?

PURPOSE

Surgical removal of the primary tumor in metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) is becoming a hotly debated issue. The purpose of this review was to summarize the current knowledge on cytoreductive radical prostatectomy (cRP) in this setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a non-systematic Medline/PubMed literature search of articles published in the field between January 2000 and April 2015.

RESULTS

Cytoreductive surgery has demonstrated its benefit in various malignancies with a solid biological rationale to justify its assessment in mPCa. cRP appears as a safe and feasible procedure in expert hands and well-selected patients. A growing body of evidence suggests a survival benefit for patients undergoing cRP as a part of a multimodal approach compared to those treated with systemic treatment alone. Nevertheless, little is known about the best clinical and tumor characteristics for the selection of patients most likely to benefit from cRP. The current literature is based on retrospective studies with small cohorts and limited follow-up or large uncontrolled population-based studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Data from various other malignancies together with the biological rationale and preliminary results in PCa suggest that cytoreductive surgery may be an option in some mPCa patients. The lack of randomized controlled trials and the low level of evidence in the current literature preclude any firms conclusion on the benefit of cRP in mPCa. Ongoing phase II and future phase III studies are mandatory to define the exact role of cRP in mPCa and to identify the patients who are most likely to benefit from cRP.

Role of surgery in high-risk localized prostate cancer

Men with high-risk localized prostate cancer (PCa) remain a challenge for clinicians. Until recently, surgery was not the preferred approach, in part because risk of subclinical metastatic disease, elevated rates of positive surgical margins, absence of randomized studies, and suboptimal cancer control did not justify the morbidity of surgery. No randomized data comparing surgery with radiation therapy are yet available. Data for and comparisons between treatment options should therefore be analyzed with extreme caution.When selecting the best treatment for patients with clinically localized high-risk PCa, considerations should include the life expectancy of the patient, the natural history of PCa, the curability of the disease, and the morbidity of treatment. High-grade PCa managed with noncurative intent greatly reduces life expectancy, but overall, it must also be remembered that radical prostatectomy (RP) and radiotherapy (RT) appear to have similar effects on quality of life. In this population, RP necessitates an extended pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND), but in selected cases, nerve-sparing is a therapeutic possibility and may offer a significant advantage over rt in terms of local control and-although absolutely not yet proved-maybe even in survival. One clear advantage is the ease of administering adjuvant or salvage external-beam rt (EBRT) after rp; conversely, salvage rp after failed EBRT is an exceedingly difficult surgery, with major complications. Surgery therefore has its place, but must be considered in the context of multimodality treatment and the risk of micrometastatic disease. Awaited trial results will help to further refine management in this group of patients.

The role of lymph node dissection in the management of prostate cancer

Lymph node dissection is a standard procedure for treatment of several cancers, but its role in prostate cancer (PCa) as an adjunct of radical prostatectomy is still debated and controversial. Pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) is currently the most reliable means of diagnosis of lymph node metastases. A uniform PLND surgical template cannot be determined, but recent evidence shows that extended PLND provides more lymph nodes, increases the accuracy of detection of lymph node metastases, and affects decision making with regard to adjuvant therapy. Several nomograms have been developed to predict those who may need more extensive PLND, while sparing the rest. Importantly, no prospective data indicate that extension of PLND improves cancer control or benefits survival. A well designed prospective randomized study is needed to resolve these issues. We present a comprehensive literature review and critical discussion of the diagnostic and therapeutic role of PLND in PCa.