Objectives-Commonly used definitions for high-risk prostate cancer identify men at increased risk of PSA relapse after radical prostatectomy (RP). We assessed how accurately these definitions identify patients likely to receive secondary cancer therapy, experience metastatic progression, or die of prostate cancer.Materials and methods-Among 5960 men with clinically localized or locally advanced prostate cancer who underwent RP, we identified eight different high-risk subsets, each comprising 4[en]40% of the study population. Estimates of freedom from radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, and metastatic progression after surgery were generated for each high-risk cohort with the Kaplan-Meier method, and hazard ratios (HR) were calculated with a Cox proportional hazards regression. The cumulative incidence and HR for prostate cancer[en]specific mortality (PCSM) were estimated with competing risk analysis.Results-Each of the studied high-risk criteria was associated with increased hazard of secondary cancer therapy (HR = 1.3[en]5.2, p < 0.05) and metastatic progression (HR = 2.1[en]6.9, p < 0.05). However, depending on the definition, the probability of freedom from additional therapy 10 yr after *Corresponding author. James A Eastham, MD, Department of Urology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021. Tel. 646-422-4390; Fax: 212-988-0759. E-mail address: easthamj@mskcc.org (J.A. Eastham). Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.I hereby certify that all authors have made a substantial contribution to the information or material submitted for publication, and have read and approved the final manuscript. None of the authors has direct or indirect commercial financial incentive associated with publishing the article. The manuscript or portions thereof are not under consideration by another journal or electronic publication and have not been previously published. Conclusions-Commonly used definitions for high-risk prostate cancer identify men at increased risk of secondary cancer therapy, metastatic progression, and PCSM following RP. However, a substantial proportion of high-risk patients remain free from additional therapy or metastatic disease many years after surgery. The risk of PCSM within 10 yr of treatment is remarkably low, even for patients at the highest risk of recurrent disease.
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