Importance of TURP in diagnosing prostate cancer in men with multiple negative biopsies

OBJECTIVE: Patients with persistently elevated PSA and multiple negative TRUS guided 12-core biopsies, present a clinical conundrum. We evaluated the efficacy of transurethral biopsy and/or resection in abetting prostate cancer diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eleven patients who had prostate cancer diagnosed only on TURP following TRUS guided (24-48 cores) negative biopsies, including five who underwent radical prostatectomy were assessed. Extent and site of tumour was analysed in relation to the TURP cavity. RESULTS: Mean age was 61.8 years (PSA range: 3.8-20.9 ng/ml.). Patients had TURP for worsening LUTS with chippings diagnosing invasive prostate cancer. Organ confined anterior prostate cancer was diagnosed in five who had radical prostatectomy. CONCLUSION: Anteriorly directed transurethral biopsies and/or TURP help in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in patients with multiple negative biopsies. Patients with anterior prostate cancer tend to have organ-confined disease even with higher PSA.     

Can pT0 stage of prostate cancer be predicted before radical prostatectomy?

OBJECTIVES: To report our experience with biopsy-proven pT0 prostate cancer over the last 10 yr. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed a series of 1950 consecutive patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) for clinically localized prostate cancer between 1996 and 2005 at our institution. The patients without residual tumour on RP specimen were defined as pT0 patients. The group of pT0 patients was compared with a control group of 295 patients operated consecutively during the same period. RESULTS: Overall, 11 (0.5%) patients were classified as pT0 on pathologic examination of the RP specimen. There was no pT0 tumour in the control group. Among the pT0 patients, five characteristics were particularly frequent: T1c clinical stage (90.9%), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or=60 g (100%). All these characteristics were present in 8 of the 11 (72.7%) pT0 patients, while they were present in only 12 of the 295 (4.1%) controls. These parameters, when combined together, had a sensitivity of 72%, a specificity of 96%, and an accuracy of 99% for the prediction of pT0 stage. With a mean follow-up of 30 months after RP, no pT0 patient had clinical or biologic evidence of prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, the rate of pT0 tumours after RP is 0.5%. The combination of clinical stage, preoperative PSA, number of positive biopsy cores, Gleason score, and prostate weight could help to predict pT0 stage after RP.     

Radical prostatectomy can provide a cure for well-selected clinical stage T3 prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE: Radical prostatectomy is commonly believed not to achieve the eradication of locally advanced disease. This retrospective study aimed to elucidate the role of radical prostatectomy in this condition. METHODS: A retrospective study of 158 patients surgically treated for clinical stage T3N0M0 prostate cancer was undertaken. Thirty patients had postoperative hormonal treatment, rendering prostate-specific antigen (PSA) follow-up unreliable, and were considered to be progressive at 1 month. Eighteen other patients received postoperative radiotherapy. One hundred and ten patients had radical prostatectomy only. PSA-relapse-free survival was analyzed. The mean follow-up time was 30 months. RESULTS: Seventy-nine percent of the resected specimens were pathologically T3 (pT3), and about 25% were pT3c. Thirteen percent were pT2 and 8% were pT4. Ninety-five specimens (60%) had positive surgical margins. There was poor accordance between the biopsy Gleason score and that of the specimen. A multivariate analysis showed that seminal vesicle and nodal invasion, margin status and a PSA level above 10 ng/ml were independent prognostic factors. In 47 cT3a patients with PSA <10 ng/ml, the PSA-free survival rate exceeded 70% at 24 months and the 5-year estimated PSA-free survival rate was more than 60%. CONCLUSIONS: Radical prostatectomy has a place in the treatment of clinical stage T3 prostate cancer patients with a PSA value lower than 10 ng/ml. There is a need to definitively rule out nodal or seminal vesicle invasion in order to select those patients that can benefit from surgery.     

Outcome of radical prostatectomy for incidental carcinoma of the prostate

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate a contemporary series of patients with incidental prostate cancer detected by transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between 1998 and 2004, 1931 patients had TURP for obstructive voiding symptoms and suspected BPH. Incidental prostate cancer was found in 104 (5.4%); 26 of these patients had a RP. The pathological staging and treatment of these patients were reviewed retrospectively and the follow‐up results obtained.

RESULTS

Of the 26 patients who had RP, 17 had T1a and nine had T1b carcinoma of the prostate. After RP, six (35%) in the T1a group had no residual tumour (pT0) and 11 (65%) had pT2 cancer; the respective incidence in those with T1b was two and seven, with no pT3 disease in either group. The preoperative Gleason grading did not correspond well with that after RP; 30% of the patients had upgraded Gleason scores and 42% showed either downgrading or no residual tumour, with 81% having Gleason scores of <7. After a median follow‐up of 47 months, one patient is receiving hormonal therapy because of biochemical relapse.

Conclusion

Subsequent to stringent PSA testing and prostate biopsy when indicated, the rate of incidental prostate cancer is low. Furthermore, substantially many patients will harbour either no residual cancer or tumours with favourable characteristics in their RP specimens. However, there is currently no possibility to reliably predict the absence of aggressive prostate cancer after TURP, and thus safely recommend observation instead of further therapy. Therefore, patients with incidental prostate cancer need to be counselled individually. The decision ‘treatment or no treatment’ should be determined by the patients’ age and life‐expectancy, tumour aggressiveness in the TURP specimen and the prostate‐specific antigen level after TURP.     

诊断性前列腺电切术对血清PSA异常患者的应用研究

目的:探讨诊断性前列腺电切(TURP)在前列腺增生合并血清PSA异常患者中的应用价值及意义,为临床处理前列腺增生合并血清PSA异常的患者提供一种新的手段。方法:收集符合入组标准的患者71例,总结病理为前列腺癌患者的Gleason评分及预后。对所有患者进行术后随访,检测其TURP术后6个月、1年的PSA值及IPSS评分,分析术后血清PSA值、IPSS的变化,评估TURP在前列腺增生伴血清PSA异常患者中的诊疗效果。结果:①40例前列腺穿刺活检阴性而血清PSA持续异常的患者中,2例术后病理示前列腺腺癌(2/40),Gleason评分为6分,另1例电切后病理示前列腺增生组织,但术后血清PSA持续异常(18μg/L),行2次活检,病理诊断为前列腺癌,Gleason评分6分,3例均行前列腺根治性切除术,术后随访恢复好。31例拒绝活检患者中术后病理示前列腺腺癌9例(9/31)。Gleason评分7⁹分,平均8分,1例行前列腺根治性切除术,8例行内分泌治疗。②59例病理诊断为良性前列腺增生(BPH),其中血清PSA恢复正常者56例,显著降低者3例,IPSS评分有明显改善53例,6例尿道狭窄经过尿扩处理后评分亦有改善。结论:诊断性TURP可提高前列腺癌的早期检出率,改善患者的下尿路症状,且有利于患者血清PSA持续正常化。对血清PSA异常(>4μg/L),伴有下尿路梗阻状态、前列腺穿刺活检阴性的患者可考虑行诊断性TURP。     

Ductal adenocarcinoma of the prostate diagnosed on transurethral biopsy or resection is not always indicative of aggressive disease: implications for clinical management

Study Type – Prognosis (case series)
Level of Evidence 4

OBJECTIVE

To report the clinicopathological characteristics of 23 cases of ductal adenocarcinoma of the prostate (DCP) and discuss the implications for clinical management, as DCP is considered an aggressive subtype of prostate adenocarcinoma (PA).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The presence of DCP in transrectal ultrasonography‐guided prostate biopsy (TRUSB) is associated with adverse pathological findings at radical prostatectomy (RP) and clinical outcomes, and the significance of detecting DCP initially in transurethral biopsy (UB) or transurethral resection (TURP) in the present era of screening with prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) is unclear. The study included 23 cases of pure DCP without acinar PA diagnosed on UB or TURP. Demographic information, serum PSA level, follow‐up surgical procedures (RP, TURP or TRUSB) and outcome data were collected.

RESULTS

The mean age of the men was 67.5 years and the mean PSA level before the procedure was 12.5 ng/mL; 14 cases were detected on UB and nine were diagnosed on TURP. The mean (range) follow‐up was 4 (1–23) months after the initial procedure. In all, 21 (89%) patients had DCP or PA in follow‐up procedures. Two (11%) patients had no residual cancer, one on RP and the other on two repeat TURPs. DCP or PA was found in 12 RP cases; four patients had Gleason score 7 PA, three of which were organ‐confined, and eight had Gleason score ≥8 PA. Extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion and regional lymph node metastasis were present in seven, six and two cases, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Most DCP diagnosed on UB or TURP in this contemporary series was associated with aggressive PA, but a subset presented as a small periurethral tumour with no concomitant acinar PA, and was eradicated by the initial biopsy/TURP alone. We recommend that patients with a diagnosis of DCP on UB or TURP undergo follow‐up TURP and TRUSB before radical surgery is offered.     

Role of transurethral resection of the prostate and biopsy of the peripheral zone in the same session after repeated negative biopsies in the diagnosis of prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of the transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) together with biopsies of the peripheral zone in the diagnosis of prostate cancer after repeated negative transrectal biopsies and increasing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. METHODS: From 2003 to 2004, 43 patients, aged 53-69 yr, were seen for a history of at least two negative biopsies for prostate cancer. Thirty-five men had an increasing PSA level and underwent another set of biopsies. Seven patients had prostate cancer (20%); three were lost at follow-up and four had a Charlson comorbidity index >1. The remaining 21 were offered TURP and biopsy of the peripheral zone. Bladder outlet obstruction had no influence on decision-making. Fourteen men accepted. RESULTS: Eight patients (57%) had prostate cancer and underwent radical prostatectomy. Six cancers were detected only with TURP, one with TURP and biopsy, and one with biopsy alone. After a median of 9 mo of follow-up, two of six patients underwent rebiopsy for a rising PSA level, but no cancer was detected. CONCLUSIONS: TURP combined with a set of transrectal needle biopsies of the lateral portion of the gland is a safe procedure with a high diagnostic power after repeated negative biopsies in patients with persistently increasing PSA levels.     

经尿道前列腺切除术与前列腺癌根治术后生化复发的相关性

探讨经尿道前列腺切除术（TURP）与前列腺癌根治术（RP）治疗前列腺癌(PCa)患者术后生化复发（BCR）的相关性。方法 选取2013年1月至2017年12月就诊于本院的480例接受RP治疗的PCa患者。患者定期随访并完善前列腺特异性抗原（PSA）检测,术后连续2次检测PSA≥0.2 ng/mL定义为BCR,采用多因素Cox风险比例回归模型等方法探索TURP对RP术后BCR发生风险的影响。结果 480例RP患者中有400例患者未行过TURP治疗,80例患者既往行TURP治疗。行TURP治疗过的患者BCR发生时间显著缩短,与未行过TURP治疗的患者比较,差异有统计学意义（P=0.016）。有TURP手术史（HR=2.31,95%CI:1.33～4.04,P=0.003）、PSA升高（HR=1.01,95%CI:1.00～1.02,P=0.007）、T3b分期（HR=2.83,95%CI:1.16～6.87,P=0.022）、Gleason评分为7～9分（7分：HR=2.28,95%CI:1.09～4.75,P=0.028;8分：HR=2.90,95%CI: 1.24～6.80,P=0.014;9分：HR=5.55,95%CI:2.32～13.29,P<0.001）是BCR发生的独立危险因素。结论 在PCa患者中,TURP手术史、PSA升高、T3b分期及Gleason评分7～9分的患者在RP术后发生BCR的风险较高。     

Endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the prostate: report of 3 cases

We report three cases of endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Case 1: A 71-year-old male was admitted with a complaint of micturition pain. Serum prostatic specific antigen (PSA) was 12 ng/ml. Radical prostatectomy following needle biopsy was performed in May 1998. Histopathological diagnosis was prostatic endometrioid adenocarcinoma (pT2bpN0M0). Case 2: A 71-year-old male was admitted with a complaint of macrohematuria. PSA was 18 ng/ml. Cystoprostatectomy and ileal conduit construction following needle biopsy were performed in July 2002. The tumor that was diagnosed as endometrioid adenocarcinoma, invaded the bladder neck (pT4pN0M0). Case 3: An 86-year-old male was referred to our department for elevated PSA (16.8 ng/ml). Prostatic needle biopsy was performed and histopathological diagnosis was endometrioid adenocarcinoma with a part of well differentiated adenocarcinoma (T2bN0M0). PSA dropped to an undetectable range after total androgen blockade therapy.     

Minimal prostatic adenocarcinomas in the biopsy treated with radical prostatectomy

FundamentalsValuation about clinical pathologyc facts of patients having undergone a radical prostatectomy due to a minimal prostate adenocarcinoma shown at the biopsy.MethodsRetrospective analysis of patients having undergone a radical prostatectomy due to a minimal prostate adenocarcinoma shown at the biopsy in front of the remaining radical prostatectomies.ResultsIn 20 patients (7,6%) out of the 260 having undergone a radical prostatectomy between 1992 and 2004 the biopsy was informed as “minimal adenocarcinoma”. These patients ranged 58 to 73 years with PSA levels from 5.2 to 17.1 ng./ml. Everyone except one were clinically T1c. At the definitive pathological study the Gleason was 6, 4, 3 and 2 in 3, 3, 8 and 4 patients respectively, with one having a minimal adenocarcinoma not graded and another one with a PIN ?. 3 showed only 1 focus with a tumoral volume less than 5% of the tissue (84.2% with significant tumor or multifocal). The final staging was 1 pT0 (PIN ?), 7 pT2a, 11 pT2b and 1 pT3a (62.5% bilaterals).Relating to the remaining patients under prostatectomy, patients with minimal adenocarcinoma presented significative differences in Gleason sum (p < 0.029) and staging (p = 0.02); no in PSA mean (p =0,243).SummaryMinimal adenocarcinomas of the prostate at the biopsy are significant but do present lower staging and grading in relation with the rest of patients.     

8-month neoadjuvant hormonal therapy before radical prostatectomy for high-risk prostate cancer

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinicopathological outcomes of 8 months of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NHT) prior to radical prostatectomy for high-risk prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A multi-institutional prospective trial was performed between July 2000 and May 2003 involving high-risk prostate cancer patients without metastasis, including 21 who received 8 months of NHT before radical prostatectomy. High-risk group was defined as clinical stage > or =T2c and/or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) >20 ng/ml and/or Gleason score > or =8. PSA values were considered elevated (biochemical failure) if values of 0.1 ng/ml or greater were obtained. RESULTS: Median of initial PSA levels before prostate biopsy was 27.6 ng/ml (8.5-80.7 ng/ml), and median of pre-operative PSA levels after NHT was 0.28 ng/ml (0.02-4.2 ng/ml). There were 5 patients (23.8%) with lower limit of PSA detection (less than 0.02 ng/ml) in 8 months after NHT. The clinical T stage was T1c in 9 patients (42.9%), T2a-b in 8 patients (38.1%), T2c in 3 patients (14.3%), and T3a in 1 patient (4.8%). The median follow-up was 25 months (range 4 to 37). There were 2 patients (9.5%) in pT0, 5 patients (23.8%) with positive surgical margin, 5 patients (23.8%) with extracapsular extension (ECE) and 3 patients (14.3%) with seminal vesicle involvement (SVI). Biochemical failure was occurred in 9 of 21 (42.9%) including of one pT0. Range of time to postoperative biochemical failure was 2 to 25 months (median 6 months) and most of biochemical failure was found within 12 months after surgery. Biochemical failure rate was significantly higher in patient with positive SVI (p = 0.0308) and higher in patients with pre-operative PSA levels of more than 0.1 ng/ml (p = 0.0836), positive ECE (p = 0.0545) and positive surgical margin (p = 0.0545). CONCLUSION: Biochemical failure was frequent after this combined treatment, even in a pT0 case. Long-term follow-up of patients is needed to assess the impact of this therapy on mortality.     

Percentage of positive biopsy cores, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, pT and Gleason score as predictors of PSA recurrence after radical prostatectomy: a multi-institutional outcome study in Japan

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcome of radical prostatectomy (RP) in Japan, by retrospectively analysing the clinicopathological data in patients with clinical T1-T2 prostate cancer treated by RP, as there can be prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence after RP in substantially many patients, and its character can differ according to ethnic group and/or country. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed 1192 patients who had a RP from 1993 to 2002 with no neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy and whose PSA level after RP decreased at least once to undetectable levels (<0.2 ng/mL). PSA recurrence was defined as > or = 0.20 ng/mL. The patient data were collected from the Urological Oncology Study Group, a subgroup of Japan Clinical Oncology Group. RESULTS: The patients' median (range) age was 67 (47-83) years and their PSA level before RP was 8.7 (1.0-153) ng/mL. During the median follow-up of 45.6 months, 302 of the 1192 patients (25.3%) developed PSA recurrence. The median time to recurrence was 369 (61-2128) days after RP. A log-rank test showed that five significant clinicopathological factors were associated with PSA recurrence after RP: the percentage of prostate needle-biopsy cores with cancer, the biopsy Gleason score, PSA level before RP, pathological stage, and the Gleason score of the RP specimen (P < 0.001 for all). In multivariate analyses, the percentage of positive biopsy cores, PSA level before RP, pT and the Gleason score of the RP specimen were all independent significant predictors of PSA recurrence after RP in Japanese men. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of PSA recurrence after RP was 25.3% in Japan and the percentage of positive biopsy cores, PSA level before RP, pT and the Gleason score of the RP specimen were independent significant factors for PSA recurrence.     

Under staging and under grading in a contemporary series of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy: results from the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor database

PURPOSE: We determined the prevalence of under staging and under grading in contemporary patients undergoing radical prostatectomy in academic and community based urology practices, and defined important predictors of under staging in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared clinical T stage and biopsy Gleason score with pathological T stage and prostatectomy Gleason score in 1,313 patients enrolled in the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor database, a longitudinal registry of patients with prostate cancer, who underwent radical prostatectomy, including 53% since 1995. Under grading was determined for the primary and secondary Gleason patterns and defined as a biopsy Gleason pattern of 1 to 3 that became pathological Gleason pattern 4 or 5. Under staging was defined as a clinically organ confined tumor that was extraprostatic stages pT3 to 4 or N+ at radical prostatectomy. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to determine important risk factors for under staging and significant risk factors were used to identify the likelihood of under staging in clinically relevant patient subgroups. The importance of the percent of positive biopsies in regard to the likelihood of under staging was determined by assigning patients to previously described risk groups based on serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) at diagnosis and biopsy Gleason score. RESULTS: Under grading of primary and secondary Gleason patterns occurred in 13% and 29% of patients, respectively, while under staging occurred in 24%. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that PSA at diagnosis, biopsy Gleason score and the percent of positive biopsies were significant predictors of under staging. The percent of positive biopsies appeared to be most important for predicting the likelihood of extraprostatic disease extension in intermediate or high risk disease based on serum PSA at diagnosis and biopsy Gleason grade. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of under grading and under staging in contemporary patients undergoing radical prostatectomy may be lower than previously reported. PSA at diagnosis, biopsy Gleason score and the percent of positive biopsies are important predictors of under staging. The percent of positive biopsies should be incorporated into risk assessment models of newly diagnosed prostate cancer.     

Clinically unsuspected and undetected (clinical stage t0) prostate cancer diagnosed on random needle biopsy

OBJECTIVES: To describe the findings in 4 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically undetected and unsuspected prostate cancer detected on random needle biopsy. METHODS: We reviewed the Mayo Clinic Radical Prostatectomy Prostate Cancer Database of 5793 prostatectomies from 1987 to 1997, and identified 4 patients who had prostate cancer detected on random needle biopsy of the prostate with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) less than 4 ng/mL and normal digital rectal examination. Each had requested biopsy despite the absence of clinical suspicion of cancer; 3 had normal transrectal ultrasound, and the fourth had a benign hypoechoic lesion contralateral to the cancer. RESULTS: Mean patient age at diagnosis was 65.5 years (range 61 to 67). Mean PSA was 2.4 ng/mL (range 2 to 2.9). Mean tumor volume was 3 cc (range 0.04 to 11.2). Mean Gleason grade at prostatectomy was 5.75 (range 5 to 7). Prostate cancer was Stage T2a in 1 patient (25%), T2c in 2 (50%), and T3a (25%) in 1. Three tumors were DNA diploid, and one was aneuploid. All patients were alive without evidence of cancer at a mean follow-up of 43 months (range 25 to 53) with undetectable serum PSA concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that clinically unsuspected and undetected (clinical Stage T0) prostate cancer may be clinically significant. Patient insistence on biopsy reflects increasing concern among the public about prostate cancer. Current clinical thresholds for biopsy detection will fail for some patients with clinically significant prostate cancer.     

Is a digital rectal examination necessary in the diagnosis and clinical staging of early prostate cancer?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of a digital rectal examination (DRE) in the clinical diagnosis of prostate cancer and in predicting the pathological stage, as the diagnosis of early prostate cancer usually comprises prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, a DRE and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided biopsies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Over the 4 years between 2000 and 2004, 408 consecutive patients (mean age 63.8 years) referred with age-specific PSA levels of 2.5-10.0 ng/mL and who had a TRUS-guided 12-core prostate biopsy were included in the study. They had a DRE by either of two experienced consultant urologists. The results of the DRE and core biopsy histology were compared with the histology and the radical prostatectomy specimen in a subset (82 men) of the study population. RESULTS: Cancer was detected on biopsy in 152 patients; of the 196 with an abnormal DRE, 47% had cancer on biopsy. In the patients with a normal DRE, 59 cancers were detected. Men with cancer were older and had a higher median PSA level. There was no correlation between the DRE and biopsy findings, and none between an abnormal DRE and histological diagnosis of cancer. Of the patients who had a radical prostatectomy, 38% had a normal DRE. CONCLUSION: There was no correlation between the DRE, biopsy findings and pathological staging. The DRE did not contribute to managing patients with prostate cancer, but this does not mean that there is no longer a place for the DRE in assessing the urological patient. If patients are appropriately counselled before PSA testing, a DRE may not be essential for patients with a PSA level of 2.5-10 ng/mL.     

Should We Replace the Gleason Score with the Amount of High-Grade Prostate Cancer?

OBJECTIVES: The stage and grade shift of currently diagnosed prostate cancer has led to a diminished prognostic power of the Gleason score system. We investigated the predictive value of the amount of high-grade cancer (Gleason growth patterns 4/5) in the biopsy for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and clinical relapse after radical prostatectomy. METHODS: PSA-tested participants (N=281) of the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) who underwent radical prostatectomy were analyzed. Besides clinical features, and serum-PSA, histopathologic features as determined in the diagnostic biopsy and matching radical prostatectomy specimen were related to patient outcome. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 7 yr, 39 (13.9%), 24 (8.5%), and 12 (4.3%) patients had PSA >/=0.1 ng/ml, PSA >/=1.0 ng/ml, and clinical relapse after radical prostatectomy, respectively. Using Cox proportional hazards, PSA level (p=0.002), length of tumour (p=0.040), and length of high-grade cancer (p=0.006) in the biopsy, but not Gleason score, were independent prognostic factors for biochemical relapse (PSA >/=0.1 ng/ml) when assessed as continuous variables. In radical prostatectomies, the proportion of high-grade cancer (p<0.001) was most predictive of relapse (PSA >/=0.1 ng/ml). For PSA >/=1.0 ng/ml and clinical relapse, the amount of high-grade cancer, both in the biopsy specimen (p=0.016 and p=0.004, respectively) and radical prostatectomy specimen (p=0.002 and p=0.005, respectively), but not Gleason score, was an independent predictor. CONCLUSIONS: In biopsy and radical prostatectomy specimens of surgically treated prostate cancer, the amount of high-grade cancer is superior to the Gleason grading system in predicting patient outcome. We propose that, in addition to the Gleason score, the amount of Gleason growth patterns 4/5 in the biopsy (whether absolute length or proportion) should be mentioned in the pathology report.     

Prostate cancer development after transurethral resection of the prostate--histopathological studies of radical prostatectomy specimens

PURPOSE: We investigated prostate cancer (ca.) development after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1995 to 2003, 430 patients (pts.) received TURP at Toshiba Rinkan Hospital. Of them, 23 pts. (5.3%) had incidental carcinoma (Stage A), which developed into clinically significant ca. after 1 to 5 years in 5 (22% of Stage A, 1.2% of TURP). In 13 (3.2%) of 407 Non-Stage A pts. (who had no ca. initially), prostate ca. developed after 1 to 7 yrs. A total of 21 pts. (including 3 Stage A pts. diagnosed before 1994) underwent radical prostatectomy. Stage A pts. received regular needle biopsy of prostate (Pbx). Non-Stage A pts. were followed by yearly PSA measurement and digital rectal examination (DRE). Detailed histopathological studies were done on 21 radical prostatectomy specimens. RESULTS: Clinically significant ca. developed in 8 Stage A pts. (all A2) after 1 to 14 yrs. Long term (5 or 10 years) MAB therapy changed moderately-differentiated adenocarcinoma (AC) to poorly-differentiated AC in 2 pts. during follow-up. When ca. developed PSA increased in only 3 of them, DRE was positive just in 1 pt. Tumor invasion was observed mainly in transition zone (TZ), especially anterior to urethra. In spite of no capsular penetration, surgical margin was positive in 2 pts. PSA failure occurred in another 2 pts. Thirteen Non-Stage A pts. showed aggressive ca. (6 moderately-differentiated AC, 6 poorly-differentiated AC, and 1 ductal carcinoma which showed metastasis later), most of which invaded widely in peripheral zone (PZ). Pbx before TURP was done to reveal that there was no cancer in 11 pts. Capsular penetration was seen in 4 pts. Surgical margin was positive in 4 pts. PSA (8.6 +/- 4.0 ng/ml) decreased after TURP but was kept in high level (4.8 +/- 2.2 ng/ml) after 1 year and increased (8.7 +/- 4.5) when cancer was diagnosed in all 13 pts. DRE was positive in 38% of them. Interval between TURP and diagnosis was short in pts. who had cancer of high Gleason Score (GS) or large prostate. CONCLUSIONS: As significant cancer developed in 22% of Stage A pts. (1.2% of TURP) in long term follow-up, regular Pbx (to get TZ tissue) is mandatory regardless of PSA value or DRE. Aggressive cancer developed in 3.2% of Non-Stage A pts. (3.0% of TURP). Pts. with high PSA or abnormal DRE after TURP must receive needle biopsy actively. Considering that more than 4% of TURP pts. eventually require radical prostatectomy, relatively younger pts. who received TURP have to be carefully followed for a long period.     

When should we expect no residual tumor (pT0) once we submit incidental T1a‐b prostate cancers to radical prostatectomy?

Objectives: To date, no tool exists to predict pT0 at radical prostatectomy (RP) in patients with T1a–T1b prostate cancer (PCa) after surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (SxBPH). We aimed to fill this gap by developing a user‐friendly flowchart to assist urologists when incidental PCa is diagnosed and a clinical decision is required. Methods: We analyzed 158 T1a–T1b prostate cancers patients who underwent RP between 1996 and 2009. A risk stratification tool was developed applying the tree modeling technique of classification and regression tree analysis (CART) and relying on all the available pre‐RP characteristics (age, prostate‐specific antigen [PSA] before SxBPH, PSA after SxBPH, cT1a–T1b stage, prostate volume and Gleason sum at SxBPH). Then, the accuracy of the proposed model using 200 bootstrap resamples for internal validation was calculated. Results: A total of 95 patients (60.1%) were stage T1a, and 63 (39.9%) were stage T1b. The median values of PSA before and after SxBPH were 4.2 and 1.1 ng/mL, respectively. A total of 22 patients (13.9%) showed no residual tumor (pT0) at RP. The CART analyses identified three groups at risk of having residual disease at RP: (i) PSA after SxBPH > 1.0 ng/mL (pT0 prevalence: 3.8%); (ii) PSA after SxBPH < 1.0 ng/mL and PSA before SxBPH > 2.0 ng/mL (pT0 prevalence: 14.8%); and (iii) PSA after SxBPH < 1.0 ng/mL and PSA before SxBPH < 2.0 ng/mL (pT0 prevalence: 42.3%). The accuracy of the proposed model was 77.1%. Clinical stage (T1a vs T1b) was not associated with pT0 (P = 0.4). Conclusions: Clinical stage (T1a vs T1b) assessment does not help in predicting pT0 cases. An accurate and clinically useful flowchart to predict pT0 at RP after incidental prostate cancer diagnosis is provided herein.