Staging pelvic lymphadenectomy for carcinoma of the prostate: review of 23 cases

Between June, 1982 and May, 1985, 37 patients underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy for carcinoma of the prostate, 23 patients as an independent procedure. Of these 23 patients 7 had pelvic node metastasis. Node involvement occurred in 60% with clinical stage C tumors. Correlation with tumor grade revealed nodal metastasis in none of the latients with well differentiated tumors, 33.3% of those with moderately differentiated lesions, and 75% of those with poorly differentiated tumors. Metastatic disease most commonly involved the obturator-hypogastric lymphnodes (85.7%). Of the 23 patients, 14 underwent conventional node dissection, and 9 limited node dissection. Complications of lymphocele, lymphfistula, penoscrotal edema and lower extremity edema occurred mostly in patients with conventional node dissection. Limited staging pelvic node dissection provides information similar to that identified after more extensive dissection and can be accomplished with little morbidity.