Pelvic Lymphadenectomy for Stage B 1 Adenocarcinoma of the Prostate: Justified or Not?

Abstract

Of 47 patients who underwent staging pelvic lymphadenectomy for clinically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate, 26 had clinical stage B1 disease. Only 2 of these patients (8%) had positive pelvic nodes. The low incidence of lymphatic spread, the potential complications of lymphadenectomy and the role of regional lymphatics in generating an immunological defense raise the question of the efficacy of lymphadenectomy in the treatment of rigidly defined, clinical stage B1 adenocarcinoma of the prostate.