Elsevier

Urology

Volume 61, Issue 3, March 2003, Pages 596-600
Urology

Adult urology: CME article
Preoperative cardiopulmonary risk assessment as predictor of early noncancer and overall mortality after radical prostatectomy

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0090-4295(02)02250-1Get rights and content

Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate the capability of the preoperative cardiopulmonary risk assessment to predict early noncancer and overall mortality after radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer.

Methods

In 444 consecutive radical prostatectomy patients, the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification and the presence of cardiac insufficiency (New York Heart Association classification), angina pectoris (Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification), diabetes, hypertension, history of thromboembolism, and chronic obstructive or restrictive pulmonary disease were assessed. Kaplan-Meier time-event curves and Mantel-Haenszel hazard ratios were estimated for noncancer (other deaths were censored) and overall mortality. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze possible combined effects of risk factors.

Results

During an average follow-up of 4.7 years, 36 patients died: 15 of noncancer causes, 14 of prostate cancer, 6 of other cancers, and 1 in a car accident. The comorbidity scores for American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification, New York Heart Association classification, and Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification and combinations between the latter two scores were significantly associated with early noncancer mortality in a dose-response pattern. Furthermore, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were at increased risk. The association with overall mortality was less strong.

Conclusions

The preoperative cardiopulmonary risk assessment may be used as a predictor of early noncancer and overall mortality after radical prostatectomy and should be evaluated further as a source of prognostic information in surgical oncology.

Section snippets

Material and methods

All 444 patients (mean age 63.9 years, range 45 to 76) who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer between December 1, 1992 and December 31, 1998, were included in this study. The patients were subdivided into three age groups (less than 60 years; 60 to 69 years; and 70 years or older at surgery). Comorbidity data with relevance for anesthesia (ASA classification [available at http://www.asahq.org/Profinfo/PhysicalStatus.html] and NYHA and CCS classifications

Results

The average follow-up was 4.7 years (surviving patients, range 2.1 to 8.6). In the univariate analysis, the risk of comorbid death was significantly greater among patients with severe systemic disease (ASA 3, Fig. 1), cardiac insufficiency (NYHA 1 or greater, Fig. 2), angina pectoris (CCS 1 or more, Fig. 3), or COPD (P <0.01) compared with those without these conditions. Of the 15 patients who died of comorbidity, 12 (80%) had at least one of the adverse factors (ASA 3, NYHA 1 or more, CCS 1

Comment

The results of this study confirm the prognostic value of the ASA classification in a radical prostatectomy cohort for the early postoperative period analogously to the experiences with head and neck cancer.5, 7 Moreover, the results demonstrate that the NYHA and CCS classifications of cardiac risk may also be used as predictors of comorbid and overall mortality during the first postoperative years. Although too few events occurred to generalize the prognostic model, nevertheless, the

Conclusions

The results of this study demonstrate the capability of preoperative cardiopulmonary risk assessment to predict comorbid and overall mortality with dose-response relationships during the first years after radical prostatectomy. The results of this study encourage additional investigation of preoperative cardiopulmonary risk assessment as source of prognostic information in surgical oncology.

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