Review: Prostate capsule sparing radical cystectomy: oncologic safety and clinical outcome

OBJECTIVES: Prostate capsule sparing radical cystectomy (PSRC) is a modification of the traditional surgical approach to radical cystectomy and neobladder, which offers the prospect of improved preservation of erectile function and continence. METHODS: This is a review of the literature regarding the oncologic and quality of life outcomes of this approach for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, and a comparison of these results to conventional cystoprostatectomy and neobladder. RESULTS: There are a limited number of studies addressing prostate capsule or prostate sparing cystectomy. All are retrospective, non-comparative and not uniform in terms of patient selection and technique. Long-term follow-up is lacking. The incidence of synchronous and or metachronous prostate cancer and TCC of the prostatic urethra is lower than that found in conventional cystoprostatectomy. This is likely due to pre-operative patient selection, restricting the procedure to those with no evidence of prostatic involvement by either disease. The local recurrence rate is 5%, comparable to standard cystoprostatectomy. Recurrence free and overall survival rates are comparable.