Carcinoma of the Prostate: Five-Year Followup of Patients Treated by Radical Surgery

Digital Rectal Examination to Screen for Prostatic Cancer(1)

“…Kimbrough [9] reported on 54 resectable lesions among a total of 100 prostatic cancers, an achievement in 'early detection' which he attributed to annual digital rectal examination. Furthermore, Frohmueller and Grups [5] found 62.9% of 175 patients for radical prostatectomy by screening procedures, and attributed this to the an nual rectal examination program in the FRG, introduced by law in 1971.…”

Is Carcinoma of the Prostate Less Serious in Older Men?

“…Radical surgery would seem to find its greatest application in patients under 70 years of age who are otherwise in excellent health, with a life expectancy of 10 years or more; moreover, the disease must be clinically limited, and the patient must be willing to risk all of the possible complications of radical surgery (25, 26) in an effort to obtain a “cure.” Physiologic age is more important than chronologic age, and the choice of age 70 is only a guide‐line to be modified in individual cases and perhaps revised upward as life expectancy increases. The tendency of the disease to remain relatively more latent in older men seems to make the additional risk of radical surgery unnecessary in many of these cases.…”

Detection of Carcinoma of the Prostate Utilizing Biochemical Observations

“…'t: in•'icating the value of yearly rectal exammation in dL 1 ecting patients who are likely to succumb 10 carcinlllli:t of the prostate is not available. The Walter Reed Hospital findings 32 tends to indicate that 1he pen:cnt<tse of patients who are judged to be can-Jidates for r;tdical prostatectomy can be increased by 1early phy'i,;al examination that includes mandatory rectal examination. However, the 56% of patients tudged to he candidates for radical prostatectomy in 1he results reported from this army hospital may 11ell have he en due to a considerable degree of referral 'election.…”