Pathological Characteristics, Biochemical Recurrence and Functional Outcome in Radical Prostatectomy Patients on Statin Therapy

INTRODUCTION: We assessed the pathological characteristics of the radical prostatectomy specimen, the rate of biochemical failure and the functional outcome after surgery, in terms of incontinence and erectile dysfunction rate, in patients on statin medication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 588 patients with a mean age 65.2 years (SD = 5.7 years) participated in the study. All patients were contacted and interviewed. RESULTS: Users who had been on statin medication for more than 2 years had lower levels of preoperative serum PSA (p = 0.034), a 2.76 times greater likelihood of being staged as pT3a to pT3b rather than pT2a to pT2c, and a 5.39 times greater likelihood of having a postoperative Gleason score equal to seven or more. Positive surgical margins and urinary incontinence were not significantly associated with statin use. The probability of erectile dysfunction was significantly greater for statin users. CONCLUSION: Statin medication was associated with a statistically significantly lower PSA value and an increased rate of high Gleason score and pathologic stage in patients receiving medication for more than 2 years. Statins were found to be an independent predictor of recurrence. Lastly, statin users were more likely to present with preoperative and postoperative erectile dysfunction.