Results of a surgically derived nomogram to predict Gleason score upgrading applied to a cohort of patients with "favorable-risk" prostate cancer treated with permanent seed brachytherapy.

OBJECTIVE

To examine a 2-year cohort of patients treated with brachytherapy to determine the likelihood of unfavorable pathologic features using a nomogram recently developed at our center to estimate the likelihood of Gleason score upgrading for patients with favorable prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy. The brachytherapy outcomes for patients with a high likelihood of upgrading were compared with those with a lower likelihood to affirm the effectiveness of brachytherapy in this setting. Information on the likelihood of upgrading could help in the selection between active treatment and surveillance for patients with favorable-risk prostate cancer.

METHODS

The records were examined for 259 men undergoing prostate brachytherapy in 2006 to 2007, of whom 217 had favorable risk cancer. The likelihood of Gleason score upgrading (GSU) was predicted using the radical prostatectomy-derived nomogram.

RESULTS

The median age was 62 years (range 44-77), and the median prostate-specific antigen level was 4.71 ng/mL (range 0.56-9.87). Central pathology review was available for 88%, and 83% had undergone extended biopsies. Two men had received androgen deprivation therapy for prostate downsizing. The median predicted likelihood of GSU was 51.2%. The median prostate-specific antigen level for 199 patients without treatment failure after a median follow-up of 4.2 years in this cohort was 0.07 ng/mL (interquartile range undetectable to 0.23).

CONCLUSION

In the present cohort of patients with favorable-risk prostate cancer treated with brachytherapy, the estimated likelihood of GSU using the surgically derived nomogram was substantial. Follow-up with prostate-specific antigen measurement has indicated that brachytherapy is a highly effective treatment option despite less favorable clinical and pathologic factors. Patients should not be discouraged from brachytherapy on the basis of a high likelihood of GSU.