The impact of the time interval from diagnosis to radical prostatectomy on oncological outcomes in high-risk prostate cancer

Introduction. To date, the impact of the time interval from diagnostic prostate biopsy to radical prostatectomy on treatment outcomes remains a topical issue.Objective. To evaluate the effect of the timespan from diagnosis to radical treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) patients on tumor morphology and long-term oncological outcomes.Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of the results of treatment of patients with high-risk PCa who underwent radical prostatectomy with extended lymphadenectomy from 2001 to 2019 in three St. Petersburg clinics was performed. The influence of the time interval from prostate biopsy to radical treatment on long-term outcomes was assessed.Results. An increase in the time interval before surgical treatment over three months did not affect the tumor morphology. Five-year biochemical relapse-free survival was 79.7%, 67.8% and 52.5% among patients with time interval from biopsy to surgical treatment less than 30 days, 30 – 90 days and more than 90 days, respectively. The time interval prior to radical treatment did not have any effect on overall and cancer-specific survival.Conclusion. The time interval from prostate biopsy to surgical intervention, not exceeding 3 months, is the most favorable with respect to long-term outcomes.