Prostate Cancer Research Reveals Correlation Between Surgical Margins and Biochemical Recurrence

Strategic Insights -

Recent research on prostate cancer has shed light on the relationship between positive surgical margins (PSMs) and biochemical recurrence (BCR) in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP). A study conducted in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, analyzed a cohort of 111 patients who underwent RP between 2011 and 2020. The researchers found that patients with PSMs had a higher risk of BCR, and that adjuvant therapy was associated with a reduced risk of BCR in these patients.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study investigated the correlation between PSMs and BCR in patients undergoing RP, finding a significant association between the two.
  • Patients with PSMs had a higher risk of BCR, with a hazard ratio of 2.35 (95% CI: 1.23-4.49).
  • Adjuvant therapy was associated with a reduced risk of BCR, with a hazard ratio of 0.65 (95% CI: 0.41-1.03) in patients with PSMs.
  • The Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (IPTW) model revealed a consistent reduction in the risk of BCR among patients who received adjuvant therapy, irrespective of age, pre-biopsy prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, or the presence of lymphatic vascular invasion (LVI).
  • Factors such as pathological Gleason score (GS) 8 or higher, and the presence of lymphatic vascular invasion (LVI), were associated with an increased risk of BCR.
  • The study concluded that further research is warranted to refine clinical decision-making and treatment approaches in light of these findings.

Statistics:

  • 111 patients were analyzed in the study.
  • 54 patients (48.6%) had PSMs.
  • The hazard ratio for BCR in patients with PSMs was 2.35 (95% CI: 1.23-4.49).
  • The hazard ratio for BCR in patients who received adjuvant therapy was 0.65 (95% CI: 0.41-1.03).
  • Patients with pathological GS 8 or higher had a hazard ratio of 3.21 (95% CI: 1.64-6.29) for BCR.
  • Patients with LVI had a hazard ratio of 2.04 (95% CI: 1.09-3.81) for BCR.

Sources:

  • Ching-Chia Li et al. (2025) Evaluating the effectiveness of adjuvant therapy on biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer patients with positive surgical margins after radical prostatectomy. Journal of the Formosan Medical Association.
  • Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (2025) Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital Reports Findings in Prostate Cancer (Evaluating the effectiveness of adjuvant therapy on biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer patients with positive surgical margins after radical prostatectomy). Chemicals & Chemistry. July 11, 2025; p 2222.