Detection of micrometastatic prostate cancer cells in the lymph nodes by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction is predictive of biochemicalrecurrence in pathological stage T2 prostate cancer.

Purpose: We evaluated whether detecting prostate cancer cells by the nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain re action (RT-PCR) in lymphnodes ha s predictive value for serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) recurrence in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. Materials and Methods: We assessed the presence of prostate cancer cells by RT-PCR for prostate specific membrane antigen and PSA assay in lymph nodes dissected from 38 patients with localized prostate cancer treated with rad ical prostatectomy. The results of nested RT-PCR assay were compared with b iochemical recurrence. Results: Nested RT-PCR was positive in the lymph nodes of 2 of 18 patients (11%) with stage pT2a and 5 of 20 (25%) with stage pT2b disease. All 7 pati ents had biochemical recurrence. We noted a significant difference in the K aplan-Meier recurrence-free actuarial probability curve in those with posit ive and negative nested RT-PCR results for prostate specific membrane antig en, PSA and prostate specific membrane antigen-PSA in the lymph nodes (p = 3.02x10(-7), 2.23x10(-7) and 3.02x10(-7), respectively). Multivariate analy sis of serum PSA, Gleason score and preoperative RT-PCR assay in peripheral blood showed that nested RT-PCR for prostate specific membrane antigen, PS A and prostate specific membrane antigen-PSA in the lymph nodes were indepe ndent predictors of recurrence (p = 0.0089, 0.0075 and 0.0089, respectively ). Conclusions: Nested RT-PCR of the lymph nodes may be a useful pretreatment prognostic test for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. Further rese arch is necessary using a much larger number of patients with a longer foll owup.