In This Section
About da Vinci®
Prostate Cancer Treatment & Long-Term Survival
Open Surgery vs. Radiation Therapy
While long-term data is not yet available comparing da Vinci® Surgery to radiation, there are large studies comparing open surgery with radiation. This evidence suggests that removing the prostate (radical prostatectomy) offers patients a better chance of survival compared to radiation.
The following table compares patient outcomes following open surgery for prostate cancer - considered the gold standard treatment for localized cancer - and radiation or radiotherapy (brachytherapy and external beam radiation). Data is provided on survival, cancer recurrence, incidence of rectal and bladder cancer, bowel function, urinary issues and long-term erectile function.
In the table below, radical prostatectomy includes all approaches to prostate surgery: open surgery through large incisions, manual laparoscopic prostatectomy, as well as da Vinci robotic-assisted prostatectomy. As shown in the table, all types of surgery offer measurable advantages over radiation in terms of outcomes and survival rates.
Outcome Comparison: Surgery vs. Radiation
da Vinci vs. Open vs. Conventional Laparoscopy
| Radical Prostatectomy |
Survival duration compared to conservative disease management1 |
4.6 years |
|
92% |
Survival rate for high-grade cancer patients2 |
- |
|
Risk of cancer-specific death for high-grade cancer patients2 |
- |
|
|
Bowel function impairment3 |
Significantly greater vs. surgery |
|
|
Disease-specific long-term quality of life4 |
Unstable |
|
|
Painful urination (at 24 month follow-up)5 |
19% of patients |
Long-Term Survival for Localized Prostate Cancer
With any cancer treatment, the first priority is survival. A recent study suggests there is a greater chance of long-term survival for patients undergoing surgery when compared to other treatments.6
In this large study of patients receiving treatment for prostate cancer, those receiving radiation (including IMRT) and hormone therapy were two and three times more likely to die, respectively, than radical prostatectomy (surgery) patients.6 In fact, surgery patients who had their cancerous prostate removed had the lowest cancer death rate.6
In a previous study that included watching waiting, the patients who had a radical prostatectomy had a higher prostate cancer survival rate than men choosing other treatments.7
PN 873905 Rev A 02/12
While clinical studies support the effectiveness of the da Vinci Surgical System when used in minimally invasive surgery, individual results may vary. There are no guarantees of outcome. All surgeries involve the risk of major complications. Before you decide on surgery, discuss treatment options with your doctor. Understanding the risks of each treatment can help you make the best decision for your individual situation. Surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System may not be appropriate for every individual; it may not be applicable to your condition. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits. Only your doctor can determine whether da Vinci Surgery is appropriate for your situation. The clinical information and opinions, including any inaccuracies expressed in this material by patients or doctor about da Vinci Surgery are not necessarily those of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. and should not be considered as substitute for medical advice provided by your doctor. All people depicted unless otherwise noted are models. © 2012 Intuitive Surgical. All rights reserved. Intuitive, Intuitive Surgical, da Vinci, da Vinci S, da Vinci Si, Single-Site, InSite, TilePro and EndoWrist are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intuitive Surgical. All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Content provided by Intuitive Surgical. For more information, please visit www.davincisurgery.com
- Tewari A, Raman JD, Chang P, Rao S, Divine G, Menon M. Long-term survival probability in men with clinically localized prostate cancer treated either conservatively or with definitive treatment (radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy). Urology. 2006 Dec;68(6):1268-74
- Tewari A, Divine G, Chang P, Shemtov MM, Milowsky M, Nanus D, Menon M. Long-term survival in men with high grade prostate cancer: a comparison between conservative treatment, radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy--a propensity scoring approach. J Urol. 2007 Mar;177(3):911-5. Erratum in: J Urol. 2007 May;177(5):1958
- Litwin MS, Sadetsky N, Pasta DJ, Lubeck DP. Bowel function and bother after treatment for early stage prostate cancer: a longitudinal quality of life analysis from CaPSURE. J Urol. 2004 Aug;172(2):515-9.
- Miller DC, Sanda MG, Dunn RL, Montie JE, Pimentel H, Sandler HM, McLaughlin WP, Wei JT. Long-term outcomes among localized prostate cancer survivors: health-related quality-of-life changes after radical prostatectomy, external radiation, and brachytherapy.J Clin Oncol. 2005 Apr 20;23(12):2772-80.
- Buron C, Le Vu B, Cosset JM, Pommier P, Peiffert D, Delannes M, Flam T, Guerif S, Salem N, Chauveinc L, Livartowski A. Brachytherapy versus prostatectomy in localized prostate cancer: results of a French multicenter prospective medico-economic study. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys.2007 Mar 1;67(3):812-22.
- Cooperberg MR, Vickers AJ, Broering JM, Carroll PR. Comparative risk-adjusted mortality outcomes after primary surgery, radiotherapy, or androgen-deprivation therapy for localized prostate cancer. Cancer. 2010 Nov 15;116(22):5226-34. doi: 10.1002/cncr.25456
- Merglen A, Schmidlin F, Fioretta G, Verkooijen HM, Rapiti E, Zanetti R, Miralbell R, Bouchardy C. Short- and long-term mortality with localized prostate cancer. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Oct 8;167(18):1944-50.
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