Prostate cancer progression after therapy of primary curative intent - A review of data from the prostate-specific antigen era

BACKGROUND. Radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy (RT), both radical therapies, are the standard treatments of curative intent for early prostate cancer. However, these therapies are not curative in all patients and, consequently, a substantial proportion of treated patients remain at risk of disease progression and/or cancer-related death. METHODS. This article presents contemporary data on the incidence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and clinical disease progression after primary therapy of curative intent in relation to commonly assessed pretreatment or pathologic disease characteristics. RESULTS. The data highlight the substantial risk of progression for certain patient groups, such as those with Gleason score 8-10, cT3 disease, lymph node metastases, and/or pretreatment PSA levels > 20 ng/mL. CONCLUSIONS. Improved and/or additional treatment options are needed for these patient groups.