This study analyses data from the Victorian Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry to explore trends and predictors of positive surgical margins (PSM) in radical prostatectomy (RP) patients from 2011 to 2020.
Among 12,394 patients, PSM was found in 25%, with 12% in pT2 and 41% in pT3/4 disease. Over time, the PSM rate in pT3/4 patients declined from 50% to 38%, while the pT2 rate remained stable at 13%.
High-volume institutions saw a reduction in pT2 PSM from 12% to 6.5%. Independent predictors of lower PSM included robotic surgery and treatment at private institutions.
The decline in PSM rates is attributed to improved robotic surgical techniques and quality improvement initiatives.
