The Prognostic Role of Preoperative PSMA PET/CT in cN0M0 pN+ Prostate Cancer: A Multicenter Study

Giancarlo Marra*, Pawel Rajwa, EAU-Young Academic Urologists (YAU) Prostate Cancer Working Party (PCa-WP), Claudia Filippini, Guillaume Ploussard, Gabriele Montefusco, Ignacio Puche-Sanz, Jonathan Olivier, Fabio Zattoni, Fabrizio Dal Moro, Alessandro Magli, Charles Dariane, Andres Affentranger, Josias Bastian Grogg, Thomas Hermanns, Peter K Chiu, Bartosz Malkiewicz, Kamil Kowalczyk, Roderick C N Van den Bergh, Shahrokh F ShariatAlberto Bianchi, Alessandro Antonelli, Sebastian Gallina, William Berchiche, Rafael Sanchez-Salas, Xavier Cathelineau, Luca Afferi, Christian Daniel Fankhauser, Agostino Mattei, Robert Jeffrey Karnes, Simone Scuderi, Francesco Montorsi, Alberto Briganti, Désirée Deandreis, Paolo Gontero, Giorgio Gandaglia

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Context: 

Despite negative preoperative conventional imaging, up to 10% of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) harbor lymph-node involvement (LNI) at radical prostatectomy (RP). The advent of more accurate imaging modalities such as PET/CT improved the detection of LNI. However, their clinical impact and prognostic value are still unclear. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of preoperative PET/CT in patients node positive (pN+) at RP. Evidence Synthesis: We retrospectively identified cN0M0 patients at conventional imaging (CT and/or MRI, and bone scan) who had pN+ PCa at RP at 17 referral centers. Patients with cN+ at PSMA/Choline PET/CT but cN0M0 at conventional imaging were also included. Systemic progression/recurrence was the primary outcome; Cox proportional hazards models were used for multivariate analysis. 

Evidence Acquisition: 

We included 1163 pN+ men out of whom 95 and 100 had preoperative PSMA and/or Choline PET/CT, respectively. ISUP grade ≥4 was detected in 66.6%. Overall, 42% of patients had postoperative PSA persistence (≥0.1 ng/mL). Postoperative management included initial observation (34%), ADT (22.7%) and adjuvant RT+/-ADT (42.8%). Median follow-up was 42 months. Patients with cN+ on PSMA PET/CT had an increased risk of systemic progression (52.9% vs. 13.6% cN0 PSMA PET/CT vs. 21.5% cN0 at conventional imaging; P < .01). This held true at multivariable analysis: (HR 6.184, 95% CI: 3.386-11-295; P < .001) whilst no significant results were highlighted for Choline PET/CT. No significant associations for both PET types were found for local progression, BCR, and overall mortality (all P > .05). Observation as an initial management strategy instead of adjuvant treatments was related with an increased risk of metastases (HR 1.808; 95% CI: 1.069-3.058; P < .05). 

Conclusions: 

PSMA PET/CT cN+ patients with negative conventional imaging have an increased risk of systemic progression after RP compared to their counterparts with cN0M0 disease both at conventional and/or molecular imaging.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)244-251
Number of pages8
JournalClinical Genitourinary Cancer
Volume22
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2024
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s)

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