Purpose: We investigated the influence of positive surgical margins (PSMs) and their locations on biochemical recurrence (BCR) according to risk stratification and surgical modality.
Methods: A total of 1,874 post-radical-prostatectomy (RP) patients of pT2-T3a between 2000 and 2010 at three tertiary centers, and who did not receive neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy, were included in this study. Patients were stratified according to BCR risk: low risk (PSA <10, pT2a-b, and pGS ≤6), intermediate risk (PSA 10-20 and/or pT2c and/or pGS 7), and high risk (PSA >20 or pT3a or pGS 8-10). The median follow-up was 43 months.
Results: PSMs were a significant predictor of BCR in both the intermediate- and high-risk-disease groups (P = .001, HR 2.1, 95 % CI 1.3-3.4; P < .001, HR 2.8, 95 % CI 2.0-4.1). Positive apical margin was a significant risk factor for BCR in high-risk disease (P = .003, HR 2.0, 95 % CI 1.2-3.3), but not in intermediate-risk disease (P = .06, HR 1.7, 95 % CI 0.9-3.1). Positive bladder neck margin was a significant risk factor for BCR in both intermediate- and high-risk disease (P < .001, HR 5.4, 95 % CI 2.1-13.8; P = .001, HR 4.5, 95 % CI 1.8-11.4). In subgroup analyses, robotic RP provided comparable BCR-free survival regardless of risk stratification. Patients with PSMs showed similar BCR-free survival between open and robotic RP (log-rank, P = .897).
Conclusions: Post-RP PSMs were a significantly independent predictor of disease progression in high-risk disease as well as intermediate-risk disease. Both positive apical and bladder neck margins are also significant risk factors of BCR in high-risk disease. Patients with PSMs showed similar BCR-free survival between open and robotic surgery.