The predictive accuracy of staging transurethral resection of the prostate in the management of stage A cancer of the prostate: A comparative evaluation

The role of staging transurethral resection of the prostate in the management of stage A prostate cancer is controversial. The accuracy of staging transurethral resection, A1/A2 substaging and probability of progression tables for predicting cancer progression was evaluated in untreated patients with stage A adenocarcinoma of the prostate who were followed for at least 5 years. Survival free of disease was predicted correctly in 93% of 52 patients who underwent staging transurethral resection of the prostate, 92% of 96 with the probability tables and in 85% of 96 using a common criteria for A1 and A2 substaging. Staging transurethral resection of the prostate upgraded patient risk in 7% of the low risk patients predicted by the probability tables and 14% of the stage A1 cancer patients. Staging transurethral prostatectomy and the probability of progression tables were more accurate in predicting survival free of disease than the A1/A2 substaging system. Comparison of the predictive accuracy of staging transurethral prostatectomy to that of the probability of progression tables showed no significant difference. There was no additional benefit from combining the 2 methods. When the probability of progression tables are used to predict cancer progression it may be unnecessary to use staging transurethral resection of the prostate in the patient with stage A prostate cancer.