What Is The Recurrence Rate Of Prostate Cancer, Are Certain Patients At Higher Risk For Recurrence?
Alvaro Martinez, M.D., Beaumont Hospitals
Jan. 01, 2009 -- Question: What is the recurrence rate of prostate cancer, are certain patients at higher risk for recurrence?
Answer: That's a very important question. In general, whether you are treated with surgery, radiation or brachytherapy, we divide the patients with prostate cancer in three subgroups.
Group number one is what we call a low risk of recurrence, or favorable patient. Group number two is the intermediate risk of recurrence, and group number three is the high risk of recurrence, or unfavorable group.
As such, the low risk of recurrence have a failure rate between 5-10 percent, the intermediate greater than 10 but less than 25 (percent) and the high risk, equal or greater than 25 percent.
So it will be very important that you discuss with your physician if you belong to the low risk, intermediate or high, based on your clinical stage, your PSA level and your Gleeson score.
