Aim. To study the role of postoperative parameters in predicting the probability of development of biochemical recurrence in patients with prostate cancer with low pre-operative risk of its progression. Methods. 95 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, were included in the study, the average age being 59.5±0.7 (44-76) years. The average levels of total and free prostate-specific antigen were 5.8±0.2 (1.71-9.9) and 1.03±0.07 (0.2-3.6) ng/ml respectively. Biochemical recurrence was defined as the level of prostate-specific antigen higher than 0.2 ng/ml after radical prostatectomy. Results. 8 (8.4%) patients during the follow-up period were diagnosed with biochemical recurrence. The average period to biochemical recurrence development was 45.8±6.7 (24-84) months. Pathomorphological examination revealed presence of tumor cells at surgical margin in 18 (18.9%) cases. Biochemical recurrence was diagnosed in 5 out of 77 (6.5%) patients with negative surgical margins and in 3 out of 18 (1.7%) patients with positive surgical margins. In our study, no correlation between the state of surgical margin and biochemical recurrence development was revealed (χ2=1.958; р=0.162). In the study group postoperative Gleason score was not prognostically significant as well (р=0.294). The average tumor volume in resected material was 11.8±1.0% (1-55%) of prostate volume (мм3). Extraprostatic extension was diagnosed in 10 (10.5%) cases. Results of univariate dispersion analysis of postoperative parameters revealed prognostic significance of tumor volume in removed specimen (р=0.007) and extracapsular extension (р=0.027). Conclusion. In our study we determined that tumor volume and extracapsular extention are independent risk factors for biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer patients with low pre-operative risk of disease progression.
Predictors of biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer
