Curative treatment of prostate cancer.

The guidelines for the curative treatment of prostate cancer presented by the German Society of Urology are discussed. They are based on the current knowledge of the outcomes of surgical and radiotherapeutic treatment for prostate cancer. Radical prostatectomy is recommended as the first-line treatment for organ-confined prostate cancer in patients with an individual life expectancy of at least 10 years. Radiotherapy can be considered as an alternative treatment modality, although current knowledge does not allow a definite assessment of the relative value of radiotherapy compared to radical prostatectomy. Locally advanced cT3 prostate cancer is overstaged in about 20% and curative treatment is possible in selected cases. Guidelines represent rules based on the available evidence. This implies that exceptions must be made whenever appropriate and that guidelines have to be reviewed regularly as new information becomes available.