biopsies in one (group 1, 315 men) or both lobes (group 2, 159 men); follow-up data were available in 357 men. Men with adjuvant radiation or hormone therapy before the occurrence of biochemical relapse were excluded. RESULTSPositive lymph nodes were detected in 17 men in group 1, and in 18 in group 2. In more than half of the patients (19/35) these nodes were found outside the region of standard lymphadenectomy. Men with node-positive disease had a higher biochemical relapse rate ( P < 0.001). When the tumour was organconfined and well differentiated in nodepositive disease (Gleason score ≤ 6) the biochemical relapse rate was lower than in men with higher tumour stage and grade.

Prostate cancer is the most common malignant disease and second in causes of cancer death among men in Western Europe and North America. Despite improved surgical and irradiation techniques tumor relapse after curatively intended therapy is not uncommon. Due to the difficulty in discriminating local and systemic progression, it is often difficult to decide what this means for the patient and what kind of second-line treatment has to be given. Modern imaging techniques (MRI with endorectal coil, Choline-PET-CT, ProstaScint®-Scan) are used for diagnosis of prostate cancer relapse. Nevertheless, early detection of local tumor relapse and likewise the detection of disseminated tumor cells often fails. To differentiate between local and systemic progression, prognostic factors of the primary tumor (grading, surgical margins, infiltration of the seminal vesicles, lymph node metastases) and PSA kinetics are used. The time from initial treatment to biochemical relapse and PSA doubling time are of highest prognostic relevance. Local progression allows second-line local treatment with potentially curative results (local irradiation after radical prostatectomy, salvage-surgery / cryotherapy / HIFU after irradiation), while in the case of systemic progress a palliative systemic therapy (hormonal treatment, chemotherapy, bisphosphonates) is indicated. Before deciding on the most appropriate therapy, prognostic factors and the patient’s individual situation (co-morbidity, life expectancy, individual wishes) should be taken into account.