Prostate cancer in men less than 45 years old: influence of stage, grade and therapy.

We analyzed patients with histologically proved adenocarcinoma of the prostate to determine the natural history of prostatic cancer in men less than 45 years old. The mean age of the patients was 41 years (range 36 to 44 years). At presentation 5 patients were asymptomatic, 5 had voiding symptoms, 3 had bone pain, 3 had hematuria and 1 had testicular pain. Followup in these patients ranged from 19 to 270 months, with a mean of 111 months. Six patients with clinical stage B disease at diagnosis underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy. These patients enjoy projected 10 and 15-year survival rates of 100 and 82 per cent, respectively. Four patients with stage C disease died of prostatic cancer, although 1 survived for 204 months. Of 4 patients with stage D disease 3 died within 13 months, while 1 still is alive at 48 months. No patient with a Gleason tumor score of 8 to 10 survived more than 13 months. Patient age at presentation appears to be less important than clinical stage, histological grade or treatment modality in the prediction of the course of prostatic cancer. Young men with localized disease at presentation should be treated aggressively and they should have survival rates comparable to actuarial expectancy.