Out of 630 patients treated by radical prostatectomy at our institutio
n since 1969, 100 are now at risk for more than 15 years. Of these 100
patients, 68 had a pathologically organ-confined tumor (stage pT(2)pN
(0)) and 23 had capsular penetration or seminal vesicle involvement (s
tage pT(3)pN(0)). In 9 cases, lymph node metastases (stage pT(2-3)pN(1
-2)) were detected. The observed overall 15-year survival rates were f
ound to be 55.9 (stage pT(2)), 47.8 (stage pT(3)) and 22.2% (stage pT(
2-3)pN(1-2)), respectively. The corresponding 15-year tumor-related su
rvival rates were 80.9, 73.9 and 55.6%, respectively. Patients with st
age pT(2) or pT(3) tumors following radical prostatectomy were shown t
o have a survival expectancy equal to the male age-matched control pop
ulation. These observed 15-year follow-up data delineate radical prost
atectomy to be the best way to achieve long-term disease-free survival
, if not cure, in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.