Do Positive Surgical Margins Predict Biochemical Recurrence in All Patients Without Adjuvant Therapy After Radical Prostatectomy?

PURPOSE The objective was to study whether positive surgical margins (PSMs) predict biochemical recurrence (BCR) in all patients without adjuvant therapy after radical prostatectomy (RP). MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent RP for prostate cancer at Veterans Health Service Medical Center from 2005 to 2011. BCR was defined by a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value ≥0.2 ng/mL. The clinicopathological factors of the PSM group were compared with those of the negative surgical margin (NSM) group, and the predictive impact of a PSM for BCR-free survival were evaluated. In addition, we analyzed the prognostic difference for BCR-free survival between solitary and multiple PSMs. RESULTS A PSM was noted in 167 patients (45.5%). BCR was reported in 101 men in total (27.5%). The BCR-free survival rate of the PSM group was lower than that of the NSM group (p<0.001). In a multivariate analysis for the total patients, PSM was significantly associated with BCR-free survival (p<0.001). After stratification by pathological T stage, Gleason score (GS), and preoperative PSA value, PSM was significantly predictive for BCR-free survival in men with pT2 and/or GS ≤6 or 7 and/or a PSA value <10 or 10-20 ng/mL (all p<0.05). Multiple PSMs were more predictive of BCR-free survival than was a solitary PSM (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS A PSM is a significant predictor of postoperative BCR in patients with pT2 and/or GS ≤7 and/or preoperative PSA <20 ng/mL. Multiple PSMs are considered a stronger prognostic factor for prediction of BCR than is a solitary PSM.