PRELIMINARY-RESULTS OF A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED STUDY COMPARING RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY VERSUS RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY ASSOCIATED WITH NEOADJUVANT HORMONAL COMBINATION THERAPY IN T2-3 N-0 M(0) PROSTATIC-CARCINOMA

Objectives. To evaluate the short- and long-term effects of neoadjuvan t hormonal treatment in locally confined prostate cancer. Methods. We report the preliminary results of 354 patients (199 with a clinical T2 tumor and 155 with a clinical T3 tumor) of whom 164 randomly received neoadjuvant total androgen deprivation using a luteinizing-hormone-re leasing hormone (LH RH) analog (goserelin) plus flutamide for a period of 3 months. Results. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels an d prostatic volume decreased from a mean of 19.9 ng/mL and 37.7 cm(3) to a mean of 0.8 ng/mL and 26.5 cm(3) after 3 months of neoadjuvant th erapy. ''Clinical downstaging'' was seen in 32% in the neoadjuvantly t reated group. ''Pathological downstaging'' percentages were 6% and 16% in the direct radical prostatectomy group and neoadjuvantly-treated g roup, respectively (P < 0.01). In patients with clinical T2 tumors, a significant difference in number of positive margins was shown in favo r of the neoadjuvantly treated group (P < 0.01). In patients with clin ical T5 tumors, a significant difference could not be detected (P = 0. 14). In 215 patients with a mean follow-up time of 15 months, the calc ulated 95% confidence intervals of mean time of PSA progression-free s urvival were 26 to 35 months in the neoadjuvantly-treated group and 28 to 37 months in the direct radical prostatectomy group, indicating no significant differences between treatment groups. However, follow-up time is currently too short to draw definite conclusions. Conclusions. These early data confirm high understaging percentages in clinical st aging. The clinical relevance of the statistically significant smaller numbers of patients with positive margins in the neoadjuvantly treate d group with a clinical T2 tumor will have to be confirmed when furthe r follow-up allows an accurate evaluation of time to PSA progression, local recurrence, and distant metastases. Presently, neoadjuvant thera py is not advisable outside clinical research settings. (C) 1997 by El sevier Science Inc.