Background/purpose: To investigate the clinical presentation and survival outcomes of patients with both a high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value and non-metastatic prostate cancer (PC).
Methods: In total, 2053 PC patients were managed in our institute between January 2008 and December 2014. A total of 343 (16.7%) patients who presented with PSA values > 100 ng/mL were enrolled. Non-metastatic and metastatic PC were identified in 67 (group 1) and 276 (group 2) patients, respectively. Furthermore, 75 metastatic PC patients with PSA values < 20 ng/mL were included (group 3) for comparison. All demographics and survival outcomes were retrospectively reviewed by a questionnaire.
Results: Group 2 patients had a higher PSA level than did group 1 (median: 1095 vs. 283 ng/mL, p < 0.001), and a higher Gleason grade than did groups 1 and 3 (grade group 4 plus 5: 60%, 77%, and 56%, for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively; p < 0.001). Other demographics were similar among groups. Group 1 patients survived significantly longer than group 2 and 3 in terms of overall and cancer-specific survival rates (5-year overall survival rates: 87.5%, 46.3%, and 66.9%; 5-year cancer-specific survival rates: 94.7%, 52.7%, and 68.7% for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Group 1 patients receiving local definitive treatments, such as radiation therapy or cryoablation, received survival and metastasis-free benefits compared to those without local treatment.
Conclusion: Patients with a high PSA value were not destined to have metastatic PC. Non-metastatic PC patients with a high PSA level obtained a survival benefit from local prostate-definitive treatments.
Keywords: Metastasis-free survival; Overall survival; Prostate tumor; Radiation therapy.
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