A prospective cohort of men with localized prostate cancer on active surveillance protocol in Hong Kong, China: what did we learn?

Abstract

This study aimed to report the outcomes of active surveillance (AS) in the management of low-risk prostate cancer (PCa). It recruited 87 men who were prospectively followed up according to the Prostate Cancer Research International Active Surveillance (PRIAS) protocol with local adaptation at SH Ho Urology Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China. We investigated the predictors of disease progression and found that baseline prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) and the presence of the highest Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) score 5 lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are significantly correlated with disease progression. Moreover, men with PSAD >0.2 ng ml−2 or PI-RADS 4 or 5 lesions had significantly worse upgrading-free survival compared to those with PSAD ≤0.2 ng ml−2 and PI-RADS 2 or 3 lesions. The study concludes that AS is a safe and effective management strategy for selected patients to defer radical treatment and that most disease progression can be detected after the first repeated biopsy. The combination of PSAD >0.2 ng ml−2 and PI-RADS 4 or 5 lesions may serve as a useful predictor of early disease progression and provide a guide to optimize follow-up protocols for men in different risk groups.