Search

We analyzed data for a cohort of 111 patients with EMBARK-like biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (prostate-specific antigen [PSA] doubling time ≤9 mo, PSA ≥1 ng/ml) after radical prostatectomy and localized oligorecurrence on prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-based imaging. All patients underwent PSMA-radioguided surgery (RGS). At PSMA-RGS, the median PSA was 1.95 ng/ml (interquartile range [IQR] 1.36-3.20) ng/ml and the median PSA doubling time was 4.0 mo (IQR 2.5-5.5). Clavien-Dindo grade >IIIa complications occurred in nine of 111 patients (8.1%). A complete biochemical response (cBR; PSA decline ≤0.2 ng/ml after PSMA-RGS) was observed in 53 patients (47.7%). In the cBR group (equivalent to the treatment suspension criterion in EMBARK), estimated survival rates at 2 yr were 49.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 37.2-67.1%) for BCR-free survival and 65.2% (95% CI 52.2-81.4%) for treatment-free survival. A relevant proportion of our PSMA-RGS cohort with localized oligorecurrence on PSMA-based imaging fulfilled the EMBARK criteria. PSMA-RGS yielded meaningful biochemical responses that translated to long-lasting treatment-free periods. PATIENT SUMMARY: For some patients with prostate cancer and no evidence of metastasis on conventional imaging but high risk of metastatic progression, modern molecular imaging identifies small cancer deposits that can be removed via targeted surgery. This surgery led to a significant decrease in PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels, which allowed a longer break from further treatment., (Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Quantitative Gleason grading appears to be a reliable prognostic parameter and provides broader risk stratification then the traditional Gleason grading in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) treated with radical prostatectomy (RP)., Objective: To determine if quantification of Gleason pattern (GP) 4 for targeted and systematic biopsy (TBx + SBx) cores together with further clinical variables can identify the lowest quantitative GP 4 fraction on RP., Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 548 patients underwent TBx + SBx of the prostate and then RP, with pathology revealing Gleason score 3 + 4, 4 + 3, or 4 + 4 disease., Intervention: TBx + SBx of the prostate followed by RP., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: GP 4 fraction thresholds of ≤5%, ≤10%, ≤15%, ≤20%, and ≤25% were compared between the TBx + SBx and RP specimens. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and accuracy for predicting the GP 4 fraction in the RP specimen were determined. Logistic regression models were used to establish a probabilistic relationship between various combinations of clinical and biopsy variables and the GP 4 fraction in the RP specimen., Results and Limitations: GP 4 fractions of ≤5%, ≤10%, ≤15%, ≤20%, and ≤25% was observed in 33%, 49%, 58%, 65%, and 70% of patients on TBx, and 18%, 41%, 53%, 63%, and 70% of patients on RP, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, NPV, PPV, and accuracy were 75%, 67%, 91%, 39%, and 74% for a TBx GP 4 fraction of ≤5%, and 65%, 85%, 65%, 85%, and 79% for a TBx GP 4 fraction of ≤25%, respectively. A model combining quantified TBx + SBx GP 4 with clinical parameters demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy. Limitations include the retrospective study design., Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that the combination of MRI-TBx + SBx and GP 4 quantification allowed precise detection of a low fraction of GP 4 when using RP specimens as the reference standard. Moreover, we found that clinical variables including Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System score without biopsy are limited in detection of low GP 4 fractions., Patient Summary: Combination of targeted biopsy alone as well as combined with systematic biopsy and quantitative Gleason grading of biopsy specimen showed high agreement with pathology findings after surgical removal of the prostate. This could help in identifying patients who are suitable for active surveillance., (Copyright © 2022 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-based radioguidance for salvage lymph node dissection (sLND) in recurrent prostate cancer has shown promising early oncological outcomes. However, long-term outcomes are still undetermined. Future studies are needed before introducing PSMA positron emission tomography-based sLND into routine clinical practice outside of clinical trials or registries., (Copyright © 2021 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The prognostic value of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with hormone-naïve oligometastatic prostate cancer (HNoMPC) undergoing cytoreductive radical prostatectomy (CRP) is unknown., Objective: To determine the pre- and postoperative prognostic value of CTC enumeration in patients undergoing CRP., Design, Setting, and Participants: Thirty-three patients with HNoMPC from the prospective, single-arm ProMPT trial who underwent CRP between 2014 and 2015 at the Martini-Klinik were evaluated. Follow-up visits for all patients were conducted every 6 mo up to 36 mo after CRP and included serial detection of CTCs in 7.5 ml blood samples using the CellSearch system., Intervention: CRP., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: CTC enumerations before and after CRP, and their prognostic value on metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer-free survival and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier plots and univariable Cox-regression analysis., Results and Limitations: Sixteen patients (48.5%) had positive CTCs prior to CRP. A CTC count of ≥2 before or 6 mo after CRP was a prognostic factor for worse oncologic outcome. Compared with other biomarkers (prostate-specific antigen, lactate dehydrogenase, and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase), the prognostic value of CTCs was highest using Harrell's C for OS (0.69), while the highest C-index could be achieved for a combination of conventional markers and CTC count (0.74). After progression to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, CTC enumeration of ≥5 was prognostic for OS. The main limitation is the small sample size., Conclusions: CTC enumeration contributes to prognostic information, which might help select HNoMPC patients who might benefit most from CRP., Patient Summary: In this report, we looked at the value of circulating tumor cell (CTC) determination in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for oligometastatic prostate cancer. We could show that the number of CTCs was a prognostic factor at all analyzed time points and was more closely associated with prognosis than other biomarkers commonly used in daily clinical practice., (Copyright © 2019 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Imaging modalities with high accuracy are essential for proper selection of patients for salvage lymph node dissection (sLND). Unlike nodal staging before radical prostatectomy, data on prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) before sLND are scarce. We analyzed 23 patients undergoing 68 Ga-PSMA-PET before sLND and compared the imaging findings with histopathology at sLND. Altogether, 29/109 resected lymph node (LN) fields harbored histologically confirmed LN metastases (26.6%)., The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 89.5%, 74.1%, 70.8%, 90.9%, and 80.4% in side-based analysis, and 75.9%, 87.5%, 68.8%, 90.9%, and 84.4%, respectively, in LN field-based analysis. In contrast to existing studies, sensitivity in particular was lower. This might be because of referral for sLND on the basis of PSMA-PET from 13 different nuclear medicine centers. However, this could still provide more realistic data if sLND should become widely used. Second, our pathologists routinely used immunohistochemistry, resulting in a higher yield of smaller metastases, increasing the accuracy of histopathology. Despite its acceptable accuracy in a real-world scenario, sLND should not only focus on PSMA-PET-positive fields, as small PSMA-PET-negative metastases may be present. PATIENT SUMMARY: We analyzed the accuracy of prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET) before salvage lymph node dissection in a real-world situation. Although the accuracy is reasonable, resection should not exclusively focus on PSMA-PET-positive fields., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Transrectal prostate biopsy (pbx) is the most frequent outpatient procedure in the urological field. Septic complications are a major health issue., Objective: To evaluate complication rates with or without an antimicrobial lubricant., Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 1000 patients received pbx between 2013 and 2015. Information about complications was collected by a 3-wk questionnaire. Return rate was 73.2% (n=732)., Intervention: Randomization for pbx with the instillation of an antimicrobial lubricant (intervention group, n=385) or the standard lubricant (control group, n=347) was performed., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: Multivariable analyses assessed the association between infectious complications at biopsy and use of an antimicrobial lubricant, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), history of urogenitourinary infections, and several other confounders., Results and Limitations: The use of an antimicrobial lubricant did not reduce infection rate. Overall complication rate was very low. Of all patients, 69.3% described the procedure as pain free. Fever ≥38.5°C was reported in overall 1.9% of patients. Urinary retention with catheterization occurred in 3.1%. Most common complications were hematospermia (47.4%), macrohematuria (23.8%), and rectal bleeding (7.4%). Readmission rate was 1% (n=7). In multivariable analyses, IPSS and previous infectious complications were associated with a higher risk of infectious complications. Our results stem from a large German single center and therefore are limited to this patient group., Conclusions: No significant reduction was shown in infectious complications in the intervention group with the antimicrobial agent. Low incidence of those complications may be the underlying cause. Severe morbidity at pbx is uncommon. Specifically, the rate of infection was very low., Patient Summary: Severe complications at prostate biopsy are rare. Among participants, 69.3% had no pain. Fever was rare (1.9% of patients). Voiding issues with catheterization occurred in 3.1%. Most common complications were blood in the semen (47.4%), urine (23.8%), or stool (7.4%). Men with voiding issues or previous infectious complications had a higher risk of infectious complications., (Copyright © 2018 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Among prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) and with virtually identical unfavorable pathological characteristics, those deemed at low risk (LR) preoperatively had better oncological outcomes than those with intermediate (IR) or high risk (HR) preoperatively., Objective: To examine if this phenomenon still applies when preoperative Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment (CAPRA) scores are compared to postoperative scores (CAPRA-S) in RP patients., Design, Setting, and Participants: We evaluated 10 290 PCa patients who underwent RP at tertiary care centers in Hamburg (Germany) and Milan (Italy) during 1991-2011., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: All patients were classified as CAPRA/CAPRA-S LR, IR, or HR (≤2, 3-5, and ≥6 points, respectively). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) and metastatic disease (metD)., Results and Limitations: Overall, 59.6%, 29.3%, and 11.1% patients were CAPRA-S LR, IR, and HR respectively. For CAPRA-S LR patients, 5-yr BCR-free and metD-free rates for preoperative CAPRA LR versus IR/HR patients were 93.1% versus 85.7% (p<0.001) and 99.7% versus 98.9% (p=0.017), respectively. For CAPRA-S IR/HR patients, the corresponding rates were 69.9% versus 57.2% and 98.2 versus 93.7% (both p<0.001). On multivariable Cox regression analyses, a combination of CAPRA-S and preoperative CAPRA resulted in increases in predictive accuracy for BCR (from 76.0% to 78.3%) and metD (from 82.0% to 84.0%). Specifically, biopsy Gleason patterns and the percentage of positive cores added information to the CAPRA-S score. Long-term follow-up is needed to discern clinical metD differences between preoperative CAPRA risk groups., Conclusions: CAPRA-S LR patients in the CAPRA IR/HR group had higher BCR/metD risk. Conversely, CAPRA-S IR/HR patients in the CAPRA LR group had lower BCR/metD risk. Future tools should incorporate better tumor and Gleason quantification to optimize prediction., Patient Summary: We demonstrated that among 10290 European patients with prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy, those deemed at low risk preoperatively had better oncological outcomes than their peers with intermediate or high risk, despite virtually identical unfavorable pathological characteristics., (Copyright © 2017 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: While the diagnostic value of pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) during radical prostatectomy (RP) is undisputed, its therapeutic benefit remains a matter of debate., Objective: To investigate the association between total and positive lymph node (LN) counts and oncological outcomes in pN1 patients at RP., Design, Setting, and Participants: The records of 706 LN-positive patients undergoing RP and PLND between 1998 and 2012 in a single center were analyzed. The median follow-up was 47.8 mo., Intervention: RP and PLND., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: The number of harvested and positive LNs and their influence on biochemical recurrence-free survival, metastasis-free survival, and cancer-specific survival was evaluated using univariate and multivariate Cox regressions. The number of harvested LNs was used as a continuous and dichotomous variable with a cut-off of 13 LNs., Results and Limitations: The mean (median) number of removed LNs was 15.0 (13) and the mean (median) number of positive LNs was 2.4 (1). In multivariate analysis, the number of removed LNs did not significantly influence oncologic outcomes (biochemical recurrence, metastasis-free survival, or cancer-specific survival). The occurrence of metastasis and cancer-specific mortality significantly increased with higher number of positive LNs. The main limitation was the retrospective nature of the study., Conclusions: While a higher number of positive LNs were significantly associated with worse oncological outcomes, the number of removed LNs was not a significant predictor., Patient Summary: We found that only the number of positive lymph nodes (LNs) but not the total number of removed LNs was a factor adversely influencing oncological outcomes in LN-positive patients undergoing radical prostatectomy., (Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Abiraterone acetate (AA) prolongs survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. To measure treatment response accurately in bone, quantitative methods are needed. The Bone Scan Index (BSI), a prognostic imaging biomarker, reflects the tumour burden in bone as a percentage of the total skeletal mass calculated from bone scintigraphy., Objective: To evaluate the value of BSI as a biomarker for outcome evaluation in mCRPC patients on treatment with AA according to clinical routine., Design, Setting, and Participants: We retrospectively studied 104 mCRPC patients who received AA following disease progression after chemotherapy. All patients underwent whole-body bone scintigraphy before and during AA treatment. Baseline and follow-up BSI data were obtained using EXINI Bone BSI software (EXINI Diagnostics AB, Lund, Sweden)., Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: Associations between change in BSI, clinical parameters at follow-up, and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards regression models and Kaplan-Meier estimates. Discrimination between variables was assessed using the concordance index (C-index)., Results and Limitations: Patients with an increase in BSI at follow-up of at most 0.30 (n=54) had a significantly longer median survival time than those with an increase of BSI >0.30 (n=50) (median: 16 vs 10 mo; p=0.001). BSI change was also associated with OS in a multivariate Cox analysis including commonly used clinical parameters for prognosis (C-index=0.7; hazard ratio: 1.1; p=0.03). The retrospective design was a limitation., Conclusions: Change in BSI was significantly associated with OS in mCRPC patients undergoing AA treatment following disease progression in a postchemotherapy setting. BSI may be a useful imaging biomarker for outcome evaluation in this group of patients, and it could be a valuable complementary tool in monitoring patients with mCRPC on second-line therapies., Patient Summary: Bone Scan Index (BSI) change is related to survival time in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients on abiraterone acetate. BSI may be a valuable complementary decision-making tool supporting physicians monitoring patients with mCRPC on second-line therapies., (Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Context: Correct identification of metastatic sites in recurrent prostate cancer (PCa) is of crucial importance because it leads to further treatment decisions., Objective: To provide an overview on current imaging procedures and their performance in recurrent PCa., Evidence Acquisition: Medline search via PubMed was performed with the keywords imaging, recurrent, and prostate cancer as well as more detailed searches including the keywords bone scan, bone scintigraphy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, PET, choline, FDG, prostate-specific membrane antigen, and PSMA, with emphasis on recent literature from 2010 to the present. Non-English published literature was excluded. Abstracts and full-text articles were reviewed and assessed for relevant content., Evidence Synthesis: In diagnostic imaging and particularly with newer technologies like positron emission tomography (PET), a profound lack of prospectively designed studies in recurrent PCa has to be noted. In most studies histologic validation has only been performed in a subset of patient cohorts. Heterogeneity of included patient cohorts, lack of standardized assessment, as well as diverging end points, hamper systematic comparison of different image modalities. Thus evidence for currently used imaging in recurrent PCa is only presented descriptively., Conclusions: Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as bone scintigraphy still represent the standard imaging for recurrent PCa; however, particularly for detection of local recurrence, multiparametric MRI is a valuable imaging modality. PET using choline and particularly tracers against prostate-specific membrane antigen might improve visualization of metastatic lesions. These findings need to be validated in prospective trials., Patient Summary: Imaging of recurrent prostate cancer (PCa) is important to guide further treatment. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and bone scintigraphy represent the current standard. Positron emission tomography, especially with cancer-specific tracers, might improve imaging of recurrent PCa in the future., (Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)