Currently the American Urologic Association is holding their annual conference. Like the ASCO and AACR conferences there are many presentations and posters given that harkens the latest in research findings for general urological topics as well as for prostate cancer. I will be reporting on a number of these findings over the next period of time.
Dinizo et al.; (AUA abstract- 192 see the abstract below), based an analysis on Walsh’s data of over 4,000 men who were treated for prostate cancer at Johns Hopkins between 1982 and 2009. All these men had positive surgical margins. The common thread that ran through the entire group of men was an increased risk for post-surgical biochemical progression. However having positive margins was not an independent predictor of an increased risk for prostate cancer specific mortality. At first glance this seems contradictory, however it is easily explained because these men with positive margins then went on to receive adjuvant or salvage therapy.
The bottom line take home message is important; men with positive surgical margins when given adjuvant or salvage therapy status are at no higher risk for prostate cancer-specific mortality. Do you have positive margins, then by all means you must have adjuvant or salvage therapy.
THE ABSTRACT:
Sunday, May 15, 2011 8:00 AM-10:00 AM
Prostate Cancer: Staging
Podium
Source of Funding: none
192: IMPLICATIONS OF SURGICAL MARGIN STATUS O