Since 2010, Fewer Prostatectomies Being Performed for Lowest-Risk Prostate Cancer

TUESDAY, May 13, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Since 2010, there has been a decrease in the proportion of prostatectomies that are pathologic grade group 1 (pGG1), according to a study published online April 28 in JAMA Oncology.

Steven M. Monda, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues examined trends in pathologic grade on prostatectomy as a surrogate for overtreatment in a retrospective cohort study. The grade of prostate cancer on final pathology reports was examined among patients undergoing prostatectomy between Jan. 1, 2010, and Sept. 1, 2024, in two cohorts (162,558 patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results [SEER] cohort and 23,370 patients in the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative [MUSIC] statewide clinical registry). The primary outcome was the proportion of all prostatectomies that were pGG1.

The researchers found that in SEER and in MUSIC, there were decreases in the proportion of radical prostatectomies resulting in pGG1 on final pathology reports, from 32.4 to 7.8 percent from 2010 to 2020 and from 20.7 to 2.7 percent from 2012 to 2024, respectively. While controlling for age and race, within SEER and MUSIC, a more recent prostatectomy was associated with a lower likelihood of pGG1 prostatectomy (odds ratios per five years, 0.41 and 0.39, respectively). A more recent prostatectomy was associated with the presence of a higher-risk preoperative feature within a subset analysis of those prostatectomies that were final pGG1.

“The decrease in the number of surgeries for low-grade prostate cancer shows that active surveillance helps,” Monda said in a press release. “Routine PSA (prostate-specific antigen) checks, MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) and biopsies can ensure that prostate cancer doesn”t progress to a condition that requires treatment.”

One author disclosed ties to the medical technology industry.

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