Bilateral Versus Unilateral Lymph Node Dissection in High-Risk Prostate Cancer (BALANCE)
BALANCE is a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial enrolling men with unilateral high-risk localized prostate cancer identified by prostate biopsy, multiparametric MRI, and PSMA PET imaging. Eligible patients scheduled for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to undergo either unilateral extended pelvic lymph node dissection or bilateral extended pelvic lymph node dissection.
Pelvic lymph node dissection is commonly performed in high-risk prostate cancer for staging purposes, but its therapeutic benefit remains uncertain and the procedure may