Objectives: To define high risk prostate cancer using prostate cancer specific mortality as the key outcome metric.
Methods: Data from two population based cohorts of men from Connecticut who were diagnosed with localized prostate cancer were analyzed to determine the natural history of prostate cancer and the impact of treatment on long term survival.
Results: Men with Gleason 7-10 prostate cancer and a potential survival of 10 years have a high risk of dying from their disease if they elect active surveillance. Surgery appears to offer an improved survival for these men when compared to radiation therapy or observation. Men diagnosed with Gleason 6 tumors in the contemporary era are more likely to harbor low risk prostate cancer when compared to historical series.
Conclusions: Our studies confirm that high risk prostate cancer is best identified by Gleason score 7-10, but challenge the concept that men with high-grade disease are less likely to benefit from radical surgery. Men who have rising PSA values following treatment with either surgery or radiation have residual prostate cancer and are at very high risk of dying from prostate cancer within 10 years.