Open AccessSalvage prostatectomy post-definitive radiation therapy: The Vancouver experience
Author(s) -
Niall M. Corcoran,
Guilherme Godoy,
Rodney C. Studd,
Rowan G. Casey,
Antonio HurtadoColl,
Scott Tyldesley,
S. Larry Goldenberg,
Martin E. Gleave
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
canadian urological association journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.477
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1920-1214
pISSN - 1911-6470
DOI - 10.5489/cuaj.816
Subject(s) - medicine , prostatectomy , prostate cancer , salvage therapy , surgery , biochemical recurrence , radiation therapy , cohort , urinary incontinence , prostate , cancer , chemotherapy
Prostate cancer recurrence following primary radiationis common. If the recurrence remains localized to the prostate gland, surgical removal may result in long-term local control orcure. Despite the well-established oncological outcomes, salvage prostatectomy is infrequently performed or reported. We present our experience with salvage prostatectomy at a Canadian centre.Methods: We identified all patients undergoing salvage prostatectomy at the Vancouver General Hospital between 1995 and 2010 from a prospectively recorded and maintained prostate cancer database. Details regarding initial presentation, delivery of radiotherapy, clinical features at the time of recurrence, as well as oncological and functional outcomes, were collected. Information regarding postoperative morbidity was collected prospectively and confirmed by retrospective chart review.Results: Over a 15-year period, salvage prostatectomy was successfully completed in 21 patients. With a median follow-up period of 68 months (range: 2-122), 9 (43%) patients experienced a biochemical recurrence, with most failing within the first 2 years of surgery. There were 3 deaths in the cohort, all from prostate cancer, giving a prostate cancer specific and overall survival of 86%. The main postoperative morbidity was bladder neck contracture, occurring in 40%. One patient each developed a recto-urethral fistula andosteitis pubis. Physician-recorded data regarding continence was available in 13 (62%). Of these 13 patients, 10 (85%) men were recorded as dry or using 1 pad per day.Conclusions: This is the first Canadian centre to report that salvage prostatectomy can be performed with favourable oncological and functional outcomes.