A Chance Finding of High Grade Prostate Cancer in a 35-Year-Old Male - A Case Report and Outcomes of Robotic Radical Prostatectomy in Young Men with Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is often considered a disease of older men and this indeed fits with its peak incidence between 65-79 years of age. Reports of prostate cancer in men younger than 40 years of age and the outcomes of this age group following treatment are few in the literature. Here, we present the case of an unusual diagnosis of high grade prostate cancer in a very young man and outline early outcomes following treatment with robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 35-year-old male, intermittently taking finasteride for hair loss, was found to have an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of 12.5ng/mL leading to an incidental diagnosis of high grade prostate cancer. Targeted trans-perineal prostate biopsy found Gleason 4+5=9 acinar adenocarcinoma, without cribriform architecture but with features suspicious for extracapsular extension. Robotic radical prostatectomy with bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection was performed and found Gleason 4+5=9 adenocarcinoma with focal cribriform architecture, extra prostatic extension and clear margins, stage pT3a N0 M0. PSA was undetectable at 12 months, continence was immediate, and the patient reported strong erections soon after surgery. Family history of prostate cancer and genetic testing were both negative.

CONCLUSION: This case highlights that not all clinically significant cancers will be identified by following PSA screening guidelines starting at 50 years of age (or 40 years of age for men with a family history of prostate cancer). While high grade prostate cancer in a man less than 40 years of age is uncommon, the literature suggests the incidence is increasing. Our case alongside series in the literature indicate that these men have better functional outcomes and equal oncological outcomes with early surgical intervention for localized disease when compared to the older population.