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Background: The objective of this study was to assess the surgical and oncological outcomes in patients with a preoperative prostate specific antigen (PSA) value <4 ng/ml undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for prostate cancer., Patients and Methods: The records of 2000 men who underwent RARP from February 2006 to April 2010, were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 169 (8.4%) patients with a preoperative PSA value <4 ng/ml were identified. A comparison was performed between the overall patient cohort and the aforementioned patients. The analyzed parameters included: minor and major postoperative complications, postoperative Gleason score, pathological stage, positive margin status as well as presence of biochemical progression and of disease-specific mortality during the follow-up period., Results: The following results reflect the comparison of the overall cohort of patients vs. the cohort of patients who had a preoperative PSA value <4 ng/ml. A statistical difference of the analyzed parameters was observed in the median PSA value; 10.3 ng/ml (0.3-220 ng/ml) vs. 2.8 ng/ml (0.3-3.9 ng/ml) (p<0.001), in bilateral NVB; 65.7% vs. 85.2% (p<0.001), in Gleason score <7; 42.8% vs. 59.1% (p<0.05), in Gleason score 7; 47.7% vs. 36.6% (p<0.05) and in Gleason score >7 in 9.5% vs. 3.5% (p<0.001). Organ-confined disease was noted in 73.5% vs. 86.3% (p<0.05), extraprostatic extension in 25.2% vs. 13.7% (p<0.05). The percentage of cancer found in the prostate specimen was 16.1% (1-99%) vs. 7.3% (1-96%) (p<0.05) and a positive surgical margin status was encountered in 8.9% vs. 4.7% (p<0.05) of patients. Pelvic lymph node dissection was performed in 1623 patients (81.2%) of the overall cohort out of whom 64 cases (3.2%) were positive for metastasis. In the patient cohort of PSA value <4 ng/ml, pelvic lymph node dissection was performed in 114 patients (67.4%), out of which one case (0.5%) was positive for metastasis (p<0.05). After a median follow-up of 24.2 months (range 3-56 months), 162 patients (95.8%) were free of biochemical progression and no disease-specific mortality was evident., Conclusion: RARP in patients with a preoperative PSA value <4 ng/ml is a safe surgical procedure with limited complications and excellent oncological outcome.

Background: The objective of this study was to assess the surgical and the oncological outcomes in patients with a preoperative prostate specific antigen (PSA) value >20 ng/ml, undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for prostate cancer., Patients and Methods: The records of 2000 men who underwent RARP from February 2006 to April 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 147 (7.3%) patients with a preoperative PSA value >20 ng/ml were identified. A comparison was performed between the overall patient cohort and the patients with PSA >20 ng/ml. The analyzed parameters included: minor and major postoperative complications, postoperative Gleason score, pathological stage, positive margins and lymph node status, as well as biochemical progression and disease-specific mortality during the follow-up period., Results: The following results reflect the comparison of the overall cohort of patients vs. the cohort of patients who had a preoperative PSA >20 ng/ml. A statistical difference of the analyzed parameters was observed for median PSA value 10.3 ng/ml vs. 34.8 ng/ml (p<0.05), for bilateral neurovascular bundle preservation 65.7% vs. 19.7% (p<0.001), for a Gleason score <7, 42.8% vs. 12.9% (p<0.05) and for a Gleason score >7 in 9.5% vs. 19.7% (p<0.05). Organ-confined disease was noted in 73.5% vs. 31.9% (p<0.05) and extraprostatic extension in 25.2% vs. 86.1% (p<0.05). The percentage of cancer found in the prostate specimen was 16.1% vs. 38.1% (p<0.05) and a positive surgical margin (PSM) status was encountered in 8.9% vs. 33.3% (p<0.05) of patients. Positive lymph nodes were encountered in 3.2% vs. 17.1% of patients (p<0.05). After a median follow-up of 19.6 months (range 3-56 months), 118 patients (80.2%) were free of biochemical progression and no disease-specific mortality was evident., Conclusion: Although RARP in patients with preoperative PSA >20 ng/ml is a safe surgical procedure with limited complications, the risk of positive lymph nodes, as well as the PSM status are found to be significantly higher. Patients should be informed of these probable outcomes, as well as for a possible need for adjuvant treatment before undergoing the procedure.

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the surgical, the oncological and the functional outcomes in men ≥75 years of age undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP)., Patients and Methods: The records of N=2000 men who underwent RARP from February 2006 to April 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 45 patients who were ≥75 years of age were indentified. A comparison was performed between the overall patient cohort and the aforementioned patients. The analyzed parameters included: minor and major postoperative complications, postoperative Gleason score, pathological stage, positive-margin status, continence and potency in 12 months, disease-specific mortality and presence of biochemical progression at the follow-up period., Results: The following results reflect the comparison of the overall cohort of patients vs. the cohort of patients who were ≥75 years of age. A statistical difference of the analyzed parameters was observed only minor complications 11.4% vs. 15.5% (p<0.05), neurovascular bundle (NVB) preservation 65.7% vs. 51.1% (p<0.05) and potency after 12 months 66.2% vs. 39.6% (p<0.001). Major complications were noted in 1.3% vs. 2.2% of cases. A Gleason score <7 was noted in 42.8% vs. 37.3%, a Gleason score 7 in 47.7% vs. 51.1% and a Gleason score >7 in 9.5% vs. 11.6%. Organ-confined disease was noted in 73.5% vs. 68.8%, extraprostatic extension in 25.2% vs. 31.2% and positive surgical margin status was encountered in 8.9% vs. 11.1% of cases. At 12 months, 92.8% vs. 86.9% of patients were continent and 66.2% vs. 39.6% were potent. After a median follow-up of 17.2 months no disease-specific mortality was evident and 95.5% were free of biochemical progression in the cohort of patients who were ≥75 years of age., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that RARP in patients ≥75 years of age is a safe surgical procedure with limited complications, excellent oncologic and continence outcomes as well as acceptable potency outcomes. Nevertheless, RARP should be limited to a selected cohort of patients with a good overal health status and an individual life expectancy of more than 10 years in order for the oncological advantages of surgery to be achieved.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical, oncological and functional outcomes in men ≤50 years of age treated with robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP)., Patients and Methods: The records of 2000 men who underwent RARP from February 2006 to April 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 68 patients who were ≤50 years of age were indentified. A comparison was performed between the overall patient cohort and the aforementioned patients. The analyzed parameters included: minor and major postoperative complications, postoperative Gleason score, pathological stage, positive margin status, continence and potency 12 months after treatment and presence of biochemical progression and disease-specific mortality during the follow-up period., Results: The following results reflect the comparison of the overall cohort of patients vs. the cohort of patients who were ≤50 years of age. A statistical difference of the analyzed parameters was observed in prostate weight 56.1 g vs. 31.4 g (p<0.05), in bilateral neurovascular bundle (NVB) preservation 65.7% vs. 92.6% (p<0.05), and in oncological and functional outcomes. Organ-confined disease was noted in 73.5% vs. 78.5% (p<0.05), extraprostatic extension in 25.2% vs. 21.5% (p<0.05) and positive surgical margins were encountered in 8.9% vs. 5.8% (p<0.05). A Gleason score <7 was noted in 42.8% vs. 54.4% (p<0.05), a Gleason score 7 in 47.7% vs. 41.2% (p<0.05) and a Gleason score >7 in 9.5% vs. 4.4% (p<0.05). At 12 months, 92.8% vs. 95.5% were continent and 66.2% vs. 93.7% (p<0.001) were potent. After a median follow-up of 17.8 months, 97.1% patients of the ≤50 years patient cohort were free of biochemical progression and no disease-specific mortality was evident., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that RARP in patients ≤50 years of age is a safe surgical procedure with limited complications and excellent oncologial and functional outcomes. Although the preservation of the NVB in such patients is preferable, this can be performed without compromising the radical nature of cancer surgery.