Association between neuraxial analgesia, cancer progression, and mortality after radical prostatectomy: a large, retrospective matched cohort study

BACKGROUND

Systemic opioids are immunosuppressive, which could promote tumour recurrence. We, therefore, test the hypothesis that supplementing general anaesthesia with neuraxial analgesia improves long-term oncological outcomes in patients having radical prostatectomy for adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

Patients who had general anaesthesia with neuraxial analgesia (n=1642) were matched 1:1 based on age, surgical year, pathological stage, Gleason scores, and presence of lymph node disease with those who had general anaesthesia only. Medical records were reviewed. Outcomes of interest were systemic cancer progression, recurrence, prostate cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality. Data were analysed using stratified proportional hazards regression, the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank tests. The median follow-up was 9 yr.

RESULTS

After adjusting for comorbidities, positive surgical margins, and adjuvant hormonal and radiation therapies within 90 postoperative days, general anaesthesia only was associated with increased risk for systemic progression [hazard ratio (HR)=2.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31-6.05; P=0.008] and higher overall mortality (HR=1.32, 95% CI 1.00-1.74; P=0.047). Although not statistically significant, similar findings were observed for the outcome of prostate cancer deaths (adjusted HR=2.2, 95% CI 0.88-5.60; P=0.091).

CONCLUSIONS

This large retrospective analysis suggests a possible beneficial effect of regional anaesthetic techniques on oncological outcomes after prostate surgery for cancer; however, these findings need to be confirmed (or refuted) in randomized trials.

Outcomes of patients with clinical lymphadenopathy treated with radical prostatectomy

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Background: Some patients with lymph node metastases experience prolonged survival following radical prostatectomy. The purpose of this study was to determine the outcome of patients with clinically suspicious lymph nodes on preoperative imaging who underwent radical prostatectomy and lymphadenectomy.

Methods: Patients with lymph node metastases diagnosed during radical prostatectomy from 1988-2003 were reviewed. Patients with preoperative CT or MRI images were included in the study. Radiology reports were reviewed to determine if patients had clinically suspicious lymphadenopathy (cN+). For all analyses, patients with cN+ were compared to those with clinically negative nodes (cN−).

Results: Preoperative imaging was available in 202 men with lymph node metastasis at the time of prostatectomy. Of these 17% (34/202) were cN+. None had pre-operative lymph node biopsy and none had abandoned prostatectomy. At a median follow-up of 11.1 years, PSA recurrence occurred in 50% (17/34) and 49% (82/186), local recurrence in 18% (6/34) and 13% (22/186) and systemic progression in 32% (11/34) and 24% (40/186) of patients with cN+ and cN-, respectively. On multivariate analysis, cN+ was not associated with increased risk of death (HR 1.66, p=0.1).

Conclusions: cN+ patients undergoing surgical therapy for prostate cancer may experience similar outcomes to cN− patients. The presence of clinically suspicious lymph nodes on preoperative imaging should not be an absolute contraindication for surgical therapy.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.