Organ Systems Program Staging Classification for Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Although a staging classification ideally should have qualities of permanence that obviate the problems associated with revisions, it is inevitable that advances in knowledge will justify future changes. The rationale to treatment and prognosis of some of the stage subdivisions in this classification is presumptive but whereas it would be impossible to make such subdivisions retrospectively, it will be simple to combine unnecessary subdivisions if future experience so dictates. The conscientious use of the proposed prostatic diagram will provide one basis for prospective collection of relevant information in the latter regard and will help resolve existing uncertainties regarding the importance of tumor location, absolute tumor size and relative tumor size to treatment and to prognosis. Furthermore, a diagram offers the potential for retrospective reassignment of T category if classification changes.

Consultants: Donald S. Coffey, Ph.D., F. Andrew Dorr, M.D., James P. Karr, Ph.D. and Martin I. Renick, M.D.