Prognostic factors identifying biochemical recurrence in patients with positive margins after radical prostatectomy

There is a discrepancy in reporting biochemical recurrence (BCR) rates in patients with positive surgical margins (PSM) after a radical prostatectomy (RP), ranging between 19 and 61%. Our aim was to identify the parameters that contribute to the absence of BCR in patients with PSM by performing a multivariate analysis. From a cohort of 1163 patients who underwent open RP over a 6-year period, 69 exhibited PSM. Of the 69, 39 had and 30 did not have a BCR during a 3-year follow-up. The analysis comprised preoperative and postoperative PSA serum levels, age, weight of the prostate, pathology tumor grade, time of BCR, number and location of PSM. In the univariate analysis, the weight of prostate was statistically significantly associated with the odds of BCR (P = 0.027, 95% CI 1.00-1.06). Bladder neck and lateral locations of PSM were negatively associated with BCR, without exhibiting statistical significance in the multivariate analysis. Age was negatively associated with the odds of BCR whereas preoperative PSA, stage and Gleason score were positively associated, but did not exhibit statistical significance in both uni- and multivariate analysis. A low weight prostate, younger age, bladder neck and lateral location of PSM seem to protect patients from having a BCR. On the other hand, preoperative PSA, stage of the disease and Gleason score do contribute to the occurrence of BCR. Lack of statistical significance in the above results could be attributed to the small number of patients due to the study's low PSM rate.