[Cancer of the prostate. Clinical estimation and results of radical prostatectomy].

The authors present their experience about the accuracy of staging and the results of radical prostatectomy in prostatic cancer. From january 1978 to september 1988, 47 patients with clinically localized prostatic carcinoma underwent staging pelvic lymphadenectomy, of whom 36 had proven negative pelvic lymph nodes and 1 had only a micrometastasis in the obturatory nodes. We reviewed the surgical results and survival of these 37 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. The postoperative complications were compared to those reported in Literature: partial incontinence occurred in 3 patients and there were no symptomatic urethral strictrues. 1 patient died in the early postoperative period by DIC. 35 patients are alive, 27 free of disease, with average follow-up of 36 months. The over-all accuracy of staging was 87%. Our experience suggests that radical prostatectomy with staging bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy can be performed in a safe manner with minimal postoperative morbidity.