In a nutshell
The study examined whether delaying prostate surgery affected the outcomes of patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer. The authors found that the procedure could be safely delayed in these patients for up to 6 months after initial diagnosis without higher risks of adverse outcomes.
Some background
Radical prostatectomy (RP) is a standard treatment for prostate cancer (PCa). This involves the removal of the prostate gland along with additional tissues like the seminal vesicles and lymph nodes. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unexpected delays in the scheduling of surgical procedures for patients like those with high-risk localized PCa. Whether surgical delay time (SDT; the period between the first diagnosis of prostate cancer and RP) affects the outcomes of patients with high-risk localized PCa remains under investigation.
Methods & findings
The study involved the data from 32,184 patients with high-risk PCa who underwent RP. Patients were assigned to 1 of 5 groups, depending on the SDT: 31-60 days, 61-90 days, 91-120 days, 121-150 days, and 151-180 days. Patients were followed up for an average of 41.7 months.
Compared to an SDT of 31-60 days, an increase in the SDT by up to 180 days was not associated with a greater risk of negative outcomes or a lower overall survival.
The bottom line
The authors found that an increase in the surgical delay time by up to 6 months for RP after the initial diagnosis was not associated with greater risks of adverse disease outcomes or reduced overall survival in patients with high-risk PCa.
The fine print
This study was based on medical records data. Participants with higher-risk PCa tended to have surgery sooner. This may have influenced the results.
Published By :
JAMA network open
Date :
Dec 01, 2020
