Nanotechnology in the management of prostate cancer.

© 2 0 0 8 T H E A U T H O R S J O U R N A L C O M P I L A T I O N © 2 0 0 8 B J U I N T E R N A T I O N A L 1 4 9 3 threshold of 3 mm for the prostate cancer length. The occurrence rate of no cancer in the RP specimen (‘disappearing cancer’) was 0.8%. The overall estimate of the risk that patients with microfocal prostate cancer would have extracapsular extension at RP was 17.6%. The combined estimate for a positive surgical margin among men with microfocal prostate cancer was 12%. The range of PSA recurrences among this population was 0–26%, with an estimated risk of 8.6%. Among studies of watchful waiting, an increasing PSA level was reported in nine of 15 patients who had a microfocus of prostate cancer. There was conversion to definitive therapy in 30%. The overall conclusion was that a small volume of prostate cancer in prostatic biopsies is not necessarily indicative of a good prognosis.