Prostate cancer persisting in the primary site after systemic therapy may contribute to emergence of resistance and progression. We previously demonstrated molecular characteristics of lethal cancer in the prostatectomy specimens of patients presenting with lymph node metastasis after chemohormonal treatment. Here we report the post-treatment outcomes of these patients and assess whether a link exists between surgery and treatment-free/cancer-free survival.
Patients with either clinically detected lymph node metastasis or primaries at high risk for nodal dissemination were treated with androgen ablation and docetaxel. Those responding with PSA concentration
Forty patients were enrolled and 39 were evaluable. Three patients (7.7%) declined surgery. Of the remaining 36, 4 patients experienced disease progression during treatment and 4 more did not reach PSA
Half of the patients undergoing surgery were off treatment and progression-free 1 year following completion of all therapy. These results suggest that integration of surgery is feasible and may be superior to systemic therapy alone for selected prostate cancer patients presenting with nodal metastasis. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Disease advance online publication, 26 May 2015; doi:10.1038/pcan.2015.23.