Sign in Subscribe
Cancer research

Real-World Data Analysis Reveals Limited Use of Staging in Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research at University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany, has shed light on the current practices in staging intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients. According to the study, current European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines provide only a weak recommendation for staging in selected intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients. However, data on the real-world application of staging in this group are limited.

The study aimed to assess the use of various imaging modalities for distant staging in intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients scheduled for radical prostatectomy. The researchers identified 9,512 intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients from a high-volume institutional database who underwent primary radical prostatectomy between 2015 and 2021.

Key Takeaways:

  • 37.4% of the patients had favorable intermediate-risk disease, while 62.6% had unfavorable disease.
  • Only 42.0% of the patients underwent any form of staging prior to radical prostatectomy, with higher rates in unfavorable disease (48.5% vs. 31% in favorable disease).
  • The use of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), bone scan, or prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PSMA) PET/CT for staging was limited, with only 11.4% of patients undergoing PSMA PET/CT.
  • The researchers concluded that conventional staging might be safely omitted in intermediate-risk prostate cancer, while PSMA PET/CT may be considered in selected patients when staging is deemed necessary.

Statistics:

  • 9,512 intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients were included in the study.
  • 37.4% of the patients had favorable intermediate-risk disease.
  • 62.6% of the patients had unfavorable disease.
  • 42.0% of the patients underwent any form of staging prior to radial prostatectomy.
  • 11.4% of the patients underwent PSMA PET/CT for staging.

Sources:

  • "Use of staging in intermediate-risk prostate cancer: A real-world data analysis" (Urologic Oncology, 2025).
  • University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf, Martini-Klinik Prostate Cancer Center.
  • Elsevier Science Inc, Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, NY 10169, USA.
  • NewsRx. Reports Outline Prostate Cancer Study Results from University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf (Use of staging in intermediate-risk prostate cancer: A real-world data analysis). Cancer Weekly. October 21, 2025; p 649.

Read more