Prostate size affects the technical difficulty of radical prostatectomy - total surgical removal of the prostate gland as a treatment for prostate cancer - but not the functional results.
Prostate size affects the technical difficulty of radical prostatectomy - total surgical removal of the prostate gland as a treatment for prostate cancer - but not the functional results.
Researchers analysed outcomes in 3,067 American men treated by 5 surgeons at their hospital. Each man had a radical prostatectomy without chemotherapy, hormone treatment or radiation therapy.
Reported prostate size was based on weight, which ranged from 15 to 389 grams. (For comparison purposes, 15 grams is the weight of 1/8 cup of flour, while a full tcup weighs 110 grams). It was found that with increasing prostate size there were increases in estimated blood loss and time required for the surgery. It was noticed that with increasing size, surgeons were more likely to remove every trace of the cancer.
But there was no significant association between specimen weight and rate of side effects (including erectile function and urinary continence) or relapse 1 year later.
Prostate size influences operative difficulty but the increased difficulty does not seem to translate into worse functional results, the researchers concluded.
Researchers analysed outcomes in 3,067 American men treated by 5 surgeons at their hospital. Each man had a radical prostatectomy without chemotherapy, hormone treatment or radiation therapy.
Reported prostate size was based on weight, which ranged from 15 to 389 grams. (For comparison purposes, 15 grams is the weight of 1/8 cup of flour, while a full tcup weighs 110 grams). It was found that with increasing prostate size there were increases in estimated blood loss and time required for the surgery. It was noticed that with increasing size, surgeons were more likely to remove every trace of the cancer.
But there was no significant association between specimen weight and rate of side effects (including erectile function and urinary continence) or relapse 1 year later.
Prostate size influences operative difficulty but the increased difficulty does not seem to translate into worse functional results, the researchers concluded.
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