Prostate Cancer Intervention Versus Observation Trial (PIVOT)

Primary Hypothesis: To determine whether radical prostatectomy or expectant management is more effective in reducing mortality and extending life. Secondary Hypothesis: To determine which treatment strategy is superior in terms of prostate specific cancer mortality, quality of life, occurrence or recurrence of symptoms and need for cancer treatment. Intervention: 1) Radical prostatectomy, plus intervention for evidence of disease persistence or recurrence, 2) Expectant management with palliative therapy reserved for symptomatic or metastatic disease progression. Primary Outcomes: All cause mortality. Study Abstract: Cancer of the prostate (CAP) is the most common nondermatologic and the second most frequent cause of cancer deaths in men. No cure is currently possible for disseminated disease. Cancer confined to the prostate is believed to be curable, with the most frequently recommended therapy being surgical extirpation of the tumor with radical prostatectomy. However, despite increasing cancer detection and aggressive surgical treatment, population-based mortality rates from prostate cancer have not decreased, neither nationally nor in states with high rates of radical prostatectomy. Existing evidence does not demonstrate the superiority of this procedure compared to expectant management in the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Data from case series suggest that either treatment approach provides equivalent all-cause as well as prostate cancer specific mortality. The only randomized trial was limited by a small sample size but the results favored expectant management. Radical prostatectomy provides potentially curative removal of the cancer. However, it subjects patients to the morbidity and mortality of the surgery and may be neither necessary nor effective. Expectant management does not offer potential cure. However, it provides palliative therapy for symptomatic or metastatic disease progression, avoids potentially excessive and morbid interventions in asymptomatic patients, and emphasizes management approaches for focus on relieving symptoms while minimizing therapeutic complications. The primary objective of this study is to determine which of two strategies is superior for the management of clinically localized CAP: 1) radical prostatectomy with early aggressive intervention for disease persistence or recurrence, 2) expectant management with reservation of therapy for palliative treatment of symptomatic or metastatic disease progression. Outcomes include total mortality, CAP mortality, disease free and progression free survival, morbidity, quality of life, and cost effectiveness.