Pattern of failure after radical retropubic prostatectomy for clinically and pathologically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate: influence of tumor deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy

From 1966 to 1980, 315 patients underwent bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and radical retropubic prostatectomy without adjuvant treatment for clinically and pathologically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Followup was 5 to 21 years, with a median of 8 years. The disease was pathological stage A in 24 patients (8%) and pathological stage B in 291 (92%). A total of 45 patients (14.2%) experienced progression. Overall, 28 patients (8.9%) suffered local recurrence at a mean of 6.6 postoperatively (median 5.5 years). Local recurrence was noted as late as 15 years postoperatively. Overall, systemic progression was observed in 25 patients (8%) after a mean of 4.7 years (median 6 years). Eight patients (2.5%) experienced local and systemic failure. The projected local and systemic failure rates at 15 years were 22% and 15%, respectively. Disease-specific survival at 15 years was 93%, since only 11 patients (3.4%) died of prostate cancer. In an age-matched case control analysis, after all prognostic variables were analyzed (Mayo grade, Gleason score, capsule involvement, number of foci, volume of tumor and deoxyribonucleic acid tumor ploidy), progression was related to nondiploid deoxyribonucleic acid tumor ploidy (p less than 0.0004) as determned by flow cytometry in 63% of the patients who evidenced progression versus 8% of the nonrecurrent group.