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Fifteen hospital departments of Urology in Emilia Romagna took part in this study, which had two aims: to record the different approaches to clinically localised prostate cancer and make an overall assessment of the single series of radical prostatectomy. Multiple ultrasound-guided biopsy is performed in 13 departments, CT scan in 7, bone scan in 10 and laparoscopic lymphnode staging in 2. During 1995, 263 radical prostatectomies were performed, 233 being evaluable for this study. Mean age was 65.2 years. 107 cases (45.9%) proved to be organ-confined. Another 107 had locally advanced disease. 19 (8.1%) revealed node metastases. Post-operative incontinence rate was 5.5%. Radical prostatectomy is the first choice treatment for clinically localised prostate cancer at all the hospital departments participating in this study. In 1995, 28.3% of newly diagnosed patients underwent this operation. Clinical understaging is still a major issue, particularly in patients with high PSA.