Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Length of treatments in six studies was 3 months and 1.5 months in one study.
Specific interventions included in the review
Neoadjuvant androgen ablation (gonadatropin-releasing hormone agonist and/or antiandrogen) and radical prostatectomy versus radical prostatectomy alone. Gonadatropin-releasing hormone agonists were goserelin (3.6 mg intramuscularly monthly), triptorelin (3.75 mg intramuscularly monthly), leuprolide (7.5 mg intramuscularly monthly), and goserelin (3.6 mg subcutaneously monthly). Antiandrogens were flutamide (250 mg orally 3 times daily), and cyproterone (100 mg orally daily or 300 mg orally daily). Other treatments were estramustine (560 mg orally daily).
Participants included in the review
Male patients with clinically localised, newly diagnosed, primary prostatic cancer (no prior treatment), 10-year life expectancy, and negative bone scan. The mean age of participants ranged from 55 to 67 years of age across trials.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The outcomes measures used were:
1. Pathological (pT) stage (decision rules were used as needed to convert reported capsular and surgical margin data into pT stage according to 1992 TNM classification).
2. Identified surgical margin (defined as positive when the intact surgical specimen from the tumour was painted with india ink and that ink touched tumour cells).
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors do not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many of the reviewers performed the selection.