Early stage prostate cancer: biochemical recurrence after treatment.

OBJECTIVES To identify retrospectively through chart analysis the biochemical recurrence frequency of localized prostate cancer at diagnosis of patients submitted to surgery or radiotherapy; to correlate diagnostic characteristics associated with higher risk of biochemical recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrospective analysis of 483 patients treated in a single center, from March 2000 to December 2009 in order to verify factors associated with biochemical recurrence. RESULTS Biochemical recurrence was more frequent in patients with higher initial PSA levels and those with higher risk disease. Recurrence was more frequent in patients with high risk (25.9%) than those with intermediate risk (10.7%)) and low risk (5.5%). There was no significant statistical difference of biochemical recurrence between patients submitted to radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy. Biochemical recurrence was diagnosed in only 11 of 73 patients (15%)) submitted to conformal radiotherapy using tridimensional technique. CONCLUSION Radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy have similar treatment results. Tridimensional conformal radiotherapy used nowadays is more efficient than earlier forms of radiation therapy (cobalt therapy and bidimensional linear accelerator therapy).