Could More Men With Early Prostate Cancers Keep Their Lymph Nodes?

Treatment of early-stage, localized prostate cancers often involves remove of the organ plus nearby pelvic lymph nodes Now, a group of experts are questioning the wisdom of lymph node removal in these cases Leaving the nodes intact might help men avoid side effects boost the effectiveness of cutting-edge immunotherapies, they say MONDAY, Aug. 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- For years, the treatment of early-stage prostate cancers that haven't spread beyond the organ have often included the removal of nearby lymph nodes in the pelvis. It's done as a precaution and as a means of "staging" the disease.

Now, a major expert review on the topic suggests that, in many cases, men in this situation may be better off keeping their lymph nodes. Doing so may help them avoid harmful side effects, such as disabling lymphedema. But even more importantly, leaving the pelvic nodes intact might also boost the success of newer immune-based cancer drugs, the experts suspect.

The bottom line: "It is perhaps time to rethink whether lymph nodes are truly foes or friends in the oncologic management of prostate cancer," said senior study author , chair of urology at Icahn Mount Sinai in New York City. He and the review's co-authors believe that a closer look at the issue is overdue. "An in-depth assessment of indiscriminate lymph node removal during surgery, which has not been definitively shown to have therapeutic benefits, is prudent," he said.

"Our paper opens the door to potentially new strategies i.