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Changes in sexual bother (SB) following radical prostatectomy (RP) negatively affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of prostate cancer survivors. However, post-operative SB tends to be neglected whereas sexual function (SF) is thoroughly assessed in clinical practice and few studies have focused on and evaluated patients' SB. We retrospectively reviewed 2 345 consecutive patients who underwent RP between 2001 and 2009 at a single institution. SF and SB were assessed using Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) questionnaires. We stratified our cohort by SB recovery and post-operative SF status, including a subset of men who recovered SB despite persistent post-RP sexual dysfunction. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors for men who have SB recovery. Of 319 eligible patients, 133 (41.7%) recovered their SB at a mean of 20 months after RP. Among the 133 men who demonstrated SB recovery, 109 had post-operative sexual dysfunction. Patients with SB recovery despite post-RP sexual dysfunction were more likely to be old (p = 0.004), to have higher clinical T stage (p < 0.001), to have more non-nerve-sparing RP (p < 0.001), to have lower pre-operative EPIC-SF/SB scores (p < 0.001), to have more extracapsular extension (p = 0.031) and to be PDE5i non-users after surgery (p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, predictors for this subset were lower comorbidity (OR 0.62, p = 0.043), higher clinical cancer stage (OR 2.35, p = 0.026), worse pre-operative SF (OR 0.98, p = 0.010), SB (OR 0.98, p < 0.010) and no PDE5i use (OR 0.37, p = 0.002); age was not related (OR 0.99, p = 0.555). As SB can influence patients' overall HRQoL, expectations of SB recovery should be provided to patients in the same way that SF recovery is presented. This study may help clinicians to discuss SB with patients and assess their potential for SB recovery following RP., (© 2012 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.)

The objective of this study was to preoperatively predict non-organ-confined disease in patients considering radical prostatectomy. To account for the stage migration seen in prostate cancer, we included only those patients who underwent prostatectomy after the year 2000. Information on a cohort of 1895 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy from 2000 to 2008 was retrieved from the Duke Prostate Center database. Race (African American, non-African American), body mass index, age at surgery, PSA, biopsy Gleason sum (<7, 7 and >7) and clinical tumor stage (cT1, cT2/3) were analyzed by univariate analysis followed by logistic regression analysis. The Duke Interactive Clinical Equation for staging (DICE-S score) was calculated from the logistic regression model. The model was then internally validated using a bootstrapping technique. Biopsy Gleason sums 7 and >7 were more likely to have non-organ-confined disease compared with <7 (OR=2.97, Gleason sum=7; OR=3.25, Gleason sum>7). Clinical tumor stage, cT2/3, predicted non-organ-confined disease (OR=1.58). Older age was associated with non-organ-confined disease (OR=1.02), as was greater PSA (OR=1.12). DICE-S equation x=ln (p/1-p)=-3.627+0.019 (age)+0.109 (PSA)+1.087 (bGleason=7)+1.180 (bGleason >7)+0.459 (clinical T stage >T1), where p=(e(x))/(1+e(x)). A concordance index (prediction accuracy) of 0.73 was reached on internal validation. Using the DICE-S score, age, PSA, biopsy Gleason sum and clinical tumor stage, we can predict non-organ-confined disease in radical prostatectomy at an acceptable accuracy. Preoperative information on disease stage may aid in treatment decisions and surgical approach.

To evaluate whether race modifies the accuracy of nomograms to predict biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy among subjects from the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital (SEARCH) and Duke Prostate Center (DPC) databases. Retrospective analysis of 1721 and 4511 subjects from the SEARCH and DPC cohorts, respectively. The discrimination accuracy for BCR of seven previously published predictive models was assessed using concordance index and compared between African-American men (AAM) and Caucasian men (CM). AAM represented 44% of SEARCH and 14% of DPC. In both cohorts, AAM were more likely to experience BCR than CM (P<0.01). In SEARCH, the mean concordance index across all seven models was lower in AAM (0.678) than CM (0.715), though the mean difference between CM and AAM was modest (0.037; range 0.015-0.062). In DPC the overall mean concordance index for BCR across all seven nomograms was 0.686. In contrast to SEARCH, the mean concordance index in DPC was higher in AAM (0.717) than CM (0.681), though the mean differences between CM and AAM was modest (-0.036; range -0.078 to -0.004). Across all seven models for predicting BCR, the discriminatory accuracy was better among CM in SEARCH and better among AAM in DPC. The mean difference in discriminatory accuracy of all seven nomograms between AAM and CM was approximately 3-4%. This indicates that currently used predictive models have similar performances among CM and AAM. Therefore, nomograms represent a valid and accurate method to predict BCR regardless of race.

We hypothesized that factors beyond pathological stage, grade, PSA and margin status would be important predictors of biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP). A cohort of 3194 patients who underwent RP between 1988 and 2007 and who had neither neoadjuvant therapy nor postoperative adjuvant hormonal therapy was retrieved from the Duke Prostate Center database. Age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), pathological Gleason score (pG), lymph node status, seminal vesicle invasion (SVI), extracapsular extension (ECE), positive surgical margin (PSM) status, year of surgery, race, adjuvant radiation therapy (XRT), percent tumor involvement in the RP specimen and prostate weight were evaluated as possible predictors of BCR in multivariate Cox regression analysis. BCR was defined as a PSA of 0.2 ng ml(-1) or higher at least 30 days after surgery. A nomogram was developed from the Cox model. Predictive accuracy was obtained by calculating bias-corrected Harrell's c and by bootstrap calibration. In multivariate analysis, PSA (hazard ratio 1.39 (95% confidence interval 1.29-1.51)), ECE (1.22 (1.04-1.44)), pG score (1.38 (1.14-1.68), 2.23 (1.76-2.84), 2.69 (2.12-3.40) for pG 3+4, 4+3, >7, respectively), SVI (1.72 (1.40-2.12)), PSM (2.05 (1.73-2.42)), year of surgery (0.65 (0.54-0.77)), African-American race (1.37 (1.13-1.66)), adjuvant XRT (0.19 (0.11-0.34)) and prostate weight (0.83 (0.76-0.92)) were identified as independent predictors of BCR (P< or =0.018 for all factors). Predictive accuracy of the nomogram was 0.75. Race and prostate weight were independent predictors for BCR after RP. By incorporating these variables, we developed a nomogram, which provides a highly accurate means for estimating risk of BCR after RP.

Introduction and Objectives: The efficacy of adjuvant and salvage external beam radiation (AXRT+SXRT) for prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy (RP) has been debated because of the inability to rule out systemic occult metastasis, uncertainty that radiation eradicates residual local disease and the potential of exacerbating impotency and incontinence. To characterize the effectiveness and treatment morbidity a retrospective review was performed., Methods: In all, 38 patients received AXRT and 91 received SXRT. The SXRT group was stratified by PSA level, age, race, pathologic stage, margin status, worst Gleason sum, radiation dose and pelvic field. Complications evaluated were impotence and incontinence. Median follow-up was 60.2 months., Results: The 5-y disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 61.3% for AXRT and 36.3% for SXRT. Multivariate analysis of the SXRT cohort showed Gleason score, pathologic stage and pre-XRT PSA to be predictors of disease recurrence. After XRT 26% had worsened continence., Conclusions: Patients who recur after RP whose pathologic stage is pT2 or pT3c, Gleason score of 8 or higher or pre-XRT PSA is >2.0 ng/dl may have microscopic metastatic disease and a decreased chance of cure with SXRT alone. Continence was further impaired after XRT.

The objectives of this work were to evaluate the efficacy of controlled close step-sectioned and whole-mounted radical prostatectomy specimen processing in prediction of clinical outcome as compared to the traditional processing techniques. Two-hundred and forty nine radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens were whole-mounted and close step-sectioned at caliper-measured 2.2-2.3 mm intervals. A group of 682 radical prostatectomy specimens were partially sampled as control. The RPs were performed during 1993-1999 with a mean follow-up of 29.3 months, pretreatment PSA of 0.1-40, and biopsy Gleason sums of 5-8. Disease-free survival based on biochemical or clinical recurrence and secondary intervention were computed using a Kaplan-Meier analysis. There were no significant differences in age at diagnosis, age at surgery, PSA at diagnosis, or biopsy Gleason between the two groups (P<0.05). Compared with the non-close step-sectioned group, the close step-sectioned group showed higher detection rates of extra-prostatic extension (215 (34.1%) vs, 128 (55.4%), P<0.01), and seminal vesicle invasion (50 (7.6%) vs 35 (14.7%), P<0.01). The close step-sectioned group correlated with greater 3-y disease-free survival in organ-confined (P<0.01) and specimen-confined (P<0.01) cases, over the non-uniform group. The close step-sectioned group showed significantly higher disease-free survival for cases with seminal vesicle invasion (P=0.046). No significant difference in disease-free survival was found for the positive margin group (P=0.39) between the close step-sectioned and non-uniform groups. The close step-sectioned technique correlates with increased disease-free survival rates for organ and specimen confined cases, possibly due to higher detection rates of extra-prostatic extension and seminal vesicle invasion. Close step-sectioning provides better assurance of organ-confined disease, resulting in enhanced prediction of outcome by pathological (TNM) stage.

Physicians and patients have variable and individual levels of comfort regarding when to begin salvage therapy for rising prostate specific antigen (PSA) after definitive treatment of prostate cancer. The decision to start salvage therapy is a multifactorial process for which few rigorous data or guidelines exist. A questionnaire survey of urologists of the Department of Defense (DoD) Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR) was undertaken to obtain current perspectives on when to begin salvage therapy for biochemical failure after definitive therapy. Variables of age, grade, T-stage, nodal status, performance status, latency since prior therapy, PSA velocity, and ploidy were prioritized in four clinical situations; subsequent questions assessed consensus PSA cut-offs for beginning adjuvant therapy in 84 clinical scenarios. Consensus on PSA cut-off points was limited to postoperative radiotherapy (RT), where values of 1.0-1.5 were the mean cut-off points. CPDR urologists consider salvage prostatectomy post-RT only for patients <70-y-old with node negative, grade 2-7 disease and excellent performance status. Ploidy was not generally considered useful in any scenario. Many variables in addition to PSA level are involved in the decision of when to commence adjuvant therapy for initial biochemical failure. These are strikingly interdependent, and few clear absolutes are evident from this questionnaire. This is a point of necessary further research and continued discussion among physicians caring for these patients.

Purpose: It has been shown that black men with clinically localized prostate adenocarcinoma treated with radical prostatectomy have poorer disease-free and disease specific survival than white men with similar tumors. These findings suggest that a potentially more aggressive variant of prostate cancer exists in black men. Because prostate specific antigen (PSA) velocity at tumor recurrence is a good indicator of disease aggressiveness, we determine whether there was evidence that PSA velocity at biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy is faster in black men., Materials and Methods: Our retrospective data search at 2 university centers resulted in 127 white and 37 black men with clinical stage cT1 to 2 prostate adenocarcinoma who underwent radical prostatectomy between 1990 and 1994 and had evidence of biochemical recurrence (PSA greater than 0.2 ng./ml.) on followup available for analysis. No neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatments were given before or after radical prostatectomy, and all PSA relapses and subsequent treatments were recorded. PSA velocity modeling was performed in patients before any form of treatment for PSA failure. Preoperative PSA, Gleason score and pathological stage were also included in the model to assess the impact on PSA velocity after recurrence., Results: Our data suggested that PSA velocity at tumor recurrence was related to preoperative PSA on a continuous scale (p = 0.063). However, in our analysis there was little evidence that race had any effect on PSA velocity at tumor recurrence in our patient cohort (p = 0.58). Likewise, little difference in PSA velocity was seen in regard to Gleason score (p = 0.89) or pathological stage (p = 0.23) in these patients. With data on 37 black men available for analysis it was likely that only large or extreme trends could be detected. Results could be used to estimate required sample sizes for assessment of less extreme trends., Conclusions: Our data on tumor growth rate at recurrence, as reflected by PSA velocity kinetics, do not support the hypothesis that prostate tumors in black men are necessarily more aggressive due to enhanced growth. Further studies comparing the molecular and biological differences between prostate cancers in black and white males are needed to clarify reasons for the apparent differences in initial presentation, as compared to that at tumor recurrence in these 2 groups.

For the typical patient who has newly diagnosed prostate cancer, clinically organ-confined disease of moderate grade, and a PSA less than 10 ng/mL, the current role of imaging studies and molecular biomarkers is limited. Bone scans are not necessary for newly diagnosed men with a PSA less than 10 ng/mL in the absence of bone pain. Similarly, abdominal and pelvic CT scanning rarely provides any useful diagnostic or staging information when the PSA is less the 20 ng/mL and is indicated rarely. Endorectal coil MR imaging adds staging information for patients with a PSA between 10 and 20 ng/mL, a Gleason score of 7 or less, and 50% or more positive biopsies on a sextant sampling. Indium 111 capromab pendetide scanning (ProstaScint) is FDA-approved to evaluate newly diagnosed patients at high risk for metastases. These patients have a Gleason score of 7 or greater and a PSA greater than 20 ng/mL, a Gleason score of 8 to 10 regardless of the PSA value, or clinical stage T3 disease and a Gleason score of 6 or greater. RT-PCR testing of blood or bone marrow for prostate-specific or prostate cancer-specific gene expression, or "molecular staging," is a promising technique whose current use is still investigational. Much useful information may be gained by careful study of prostate needle biopsy material. Aside from current Gleason grading and the number or percentage of cores involved with cancer, no molecular biomarker is approved for clinical use. p27, p53, bcl-2, Ki-67 (MIB-1), and the assessment of neovascularity hold promise, but prospective multicenter studies are needed. In the long-term, multiple gene expression profiling of biopsy material using gene chips may revolutionize the care of patients with prostate cancer and those who elect radical prostatectomy.

Objective: To review and compare the outcome of patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) or radical perineal prostatectomy (RPP) for clinically localized prostate cancer., Patients and Methods: From 1988 to 1997, 1382 men who were treated by RRP and 316 by RPP were identified from databases of the Uniformed Services Urology Research Group. The following variables were assessed; age, race, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level before surgery, clinical stage, biopsy Gleason sum, estimated blood loss (EBL), margin-positive rate, pathological stage, biochemical recurrence rate, short and long-term complication rates, impotence and incontinence rates. To eliminate selection bias, the analysis was concentrated on pairs of patients matched by race, preoperative PSA level, clinical stage and biopsy Gleason sum., Results: In the 190 matched patients there were no significant differences between the RRP and RPP groups in either organ-confined (57% vs 55%), margin-positive (39% vs 43%), or biochemical recurrence rates (12.9% vs 17.6% at a mean follow-up of 47.1 vs 42.9 months), respectively. The mean EBL was 1575 mL in the RRP group and 802 mL in the RPP group (P < 0.001). The only significant difference in complication rates was a higher incidence of rectal injury in the RPP group (4.9%) than in the RRP group (none, P < 0.05)., Conclusions: In similar populations of patients, RPP offers equivalent organ-confined, margin-positive and biochemical recurrence rates to RRP, while causing significantly less blood loss.

Purpose: We determined the incidence of patient self-reported post-prostatectomy incontinence, impotence, bladder neck contracture and/or urethral stricture, sexual function satisfaction, quality of life and willingness to undergo treatment again in a large multicenter group of men who underwent radical prostatectomy. We also determined whether the morbidities of sexual function satisfaction, quality of life and bladder neck contracture and/or urethral stricture are predictable from demographic and postoperative prostate cancer factors., Materials and Methods: A self-reporting questionnaire was completed and returned by 1,069 of 1,396 eligible patients (77%) who underwent radical prostatectomy between 1962 and 1997. Of the respondents 868 (85.7%) underwent surgery after 1990 and in all prostatectomy had been done a minimum of 6 months previously. Questionnaire results were independently analyzed by a third party for morbidity tabulation and the association of patient reported satisfaction., Results: The patient self-reported incidence of any degree of post-prostatectomy incontinence, impotence and bladder neck contracture or urethral stricture was 65.6%, 88.4% and 20.5%, respectively. The incidence of incontinence requiring protection was 33% and only 2.8% of respondents had persistent bladder neck contracture or urethral stricture. Although incontinence and impotence significantly affected self-reported sexual function satisfaction, quality of life and willingness to undergo treatment again (p = 0.001), 77.5% of patients would elect surgery again. This finding remained true even after adjusting for demographic variables, and the time between surgery and the survey by multiple logistic regression., Conclusions: Although radical prostatectomy morbidity is common and affects self-reported overall quality of life, most patients would elect the same treatment again. Impotence and post-prostatectomy incontinence were significantly associated with sexual function satisfaction, quality of life and willingness to undergo treatment again. Bladder neck contracture and/or urethral stricture was associated with willingness to undergo treatment again after adjusting for demographic variables and time from surgery to the survey.

Purpose: Although black men with and without prostatic carcinoma in general have higher levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) than other racial groups, the cause is unknown. Previous studies have shown that black men produce greater PSA per cc of benign gland volume. We determined whether prostatic inflammation varied by race and could account for the racial difference in PSA among prostate cancer patients., Materials and Methods: Between April 1993 and February 1997, 238 patients underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and whole mounted specimens were processed at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Cases were reviewed by 2 pathologists (W. Z. and I. A. S.) blinded to clinical information, and scored for inflammation as 0--rare; 1--mild, 10 to 15 small foci; 2--moderate, greater than 15 foci with a large area or greater than 20 small foci; 3--marked, greater than 20 small foci with a large area, and 4--diffuse, multiple large areas. The extent of inflammation was correlated to pretreatment PSA and other variables., Results: A total of 181 white and 57 black men were evaluated. Of the patients 28 were excluded from analysis due to prior hormonal therapy. The percentage of patients with inflammation scores from 1 to 4 was higher among white (113 of 161, 70.2%) than black (30 of 49, 61.2%) men but this difference was not significant (p = 0.299) and the extent of inflammation was not significantly related to racial variation in serum PSA., Conclusions: To our knowledge no significant racial difference exists in the extent of inflammatory infiltrate, and inflammation was not the etiology of the racial difference in serum PSA levels in this clinically localized prostate cancer cohort.

Purpose: Immunohistochemical staining of radical prostatectomy specimens for p53 and bcl-2 proteins has been shown to correlate with prostate specific antigen (PSA) recurrence in a series of patients at our institution. We analyzed the relationship between staining of diagnostic prostate needle biopsies for p53 and bcl-2, and PSA recurrence., Materials and Methods: From 1986 to 1993, 335 radical prostatectomies were performed at our hospital. Of the prostatectomy specimens 199 had been evaluated for p53 and bcl-2 proteins in a prior series. Of 139 patients with biopsy material available for analysis 129 had enough for evaluation of 1 or both markers. Prospectively obtained clinical followup data were available, with a mean followup of 6 years. Commercially available antibodies were used for immunohistochemical staining., Results: The overall PSA recurrence rate was 37.6% for 199 radical prostatectomy cases and 37.9% for 129 with biopsy immunohistochemical staining. Staining of prostatectomies correlated well with PSA recurrence for p53 (p = 0.004) and bcl-2 (p = 0.001). However, biopsy staining did not correlate with prostatectomy staining or PSA recurrence for either marker., Conclusions: The p53 and bcl-2 biomarkers appear to be important to predict recurrence of prostate cancer when prostatectomy specimens are analyzed but this usefulness is not apparent with immunohistochemical staining of prostate biopsies. This difference may reflect sampling error and/or the heterogeneous nature of prostate cancers, and deserves further study.

Purpose: Black men with and without prostate cancer in general have higher prostate specific antigen (PSA) before screening and treatment than other racial groups. A preliminary study suggested that higher PSA levels may be primarily due to greater tumor burden. We compared PSA and 3-dimensional (D) tumor volume in a consecutive cohort of black and white radical prostatectomy patients in an equal access military health care setting to determine racial differences in these parameters., Materials and Methods: Prospective data collection, 2.25 mm. step section whole mount specimen processing and 3-D tumor volume assessment were performed in 226 patients with clinical stage T1-T3 prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy at our center between April 1993 and March 1997. Of the patients 25 were excluded from further analysis because of neoadjuvant hormone treatment, T3 disease or Asian race. A total of 155 white and 46 black patients were compared., Results: There was no significant racial difference in the distribution of patients by age, clinical stage, pathological stage, Gleason sum or benign prostate gland volume. A significant racial difference was noted for pretreatment PSA and 3-D tumor volume. PSA values were higher in black men than in white men, and the racial difference remained statistically significant in multivariate analysis adjusting for 3-D tumor volume, benign gland volume, age, stage and Gleason sum., Conclusions: Racial difference in PSA persists, despite rigorous covariate adjustment, and further study is needed to explain this PSA difference.

Purpose: The reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for prostate specific antigen (PSA) expressing cells in the blood circulation has been under intense investigation since 1992. Although it has been suggested that this technology could be used as molecular staging for occult prostatic hematogenous metastases, we have been unable to confirm RT-PCR PSA positivity of peripheral blood to predict stage or recurrence in radical prostatectomy cases. We performed bone marrow RT-PCR PSA assay on a large cohort of radical prostatectomy cases and evaluate the use of this assay in improving prostate cancer staging and detecting early recurrence., Materials and Methods: Unilateral anterior iliac crest bone marrow aspirates were performed on 116 patients immediately before radical prostatectomy between February 1995 and September 1997. Radical prostatectomy specimens were processed as whole mounts. A sensitive nested RT-PCR assay with specific primers derived from the PSA sequence was used, which enabled us to detect PSA expressing LNCaP prostate cancer cells at the sensitivity of 1 cancer cell per 10 million lymphocytes (1/10(7)). A minimum of 3 RT-PCR PSA reactions were performed on all patients and at least 2 positive tests were required to define positivity. Patients were followed for PSA recurrence (mean followup 14.7 months)., Results: PSA expressing cells were detected in bone marrow of 51 of 116 patients (44.0%) when at least 2 of 3 RT-PCR PSA assays per patient were positive. A much higher rate of RT-PCR PSA positivity was noted (77/116 patients, 66.3%) when any RT-PCR PSA positivity was considered. In 10 randomly selected cases the RT-PCR product was confirmed as PSA by deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing. Of 51 bone marrow RT-PCR positive cases 25 (49%) had organ confined disease and 26 (51%) had nonorgan confined disease. Similarly, bone marrow RT-PCR PSA was not associated with age, race, grade, pretreatment PSA or prostatic acid phosphatase value, clinical stage or margin status. However, the 2-year disease-free survival was 96.6% in RT-PCR negative patients versus 77.5% in RT-PCR positive patients (p = 0.054), and bone marrow RT-PCR PSA was an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis including PSA, Gleason grade and pathological stage., Conclusions: Bone marrow RT-PCR PSA positivity in this study did not predict pathological stage, grade or margin positivity as determined from whole mount prostate cancer specimens. Furthermore, no relationship with age, grade or serum markers and bone marrow RT-PCR PSA positivity was noted. However, bone marrow RT-PCR PSA was associated with early disease recurrence. Further studies and longer followup are warranted to define the metastatic potential of the PSA expressing cells in the bone marrow of prostate cancer patients.

Post-prostatectomy incontinence (PPI) is a common problem in the era of increased detection of prostate cancer and use of radical prostatectomy. Whether temporary or permanent, mild or more severe, PPI can be effectively treated and improved by pelvic muscle rehabilitation. It is important for urologic nurses to understand the various pelvic muscle rehabilitation methods--for example, Kegel exercises, biofeedback, and electrical stimulation--to better educate and care for PPI patients and their families.

Objective: To predict the risk of extracapsular extension and postoperative recurrence before radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer., Methods: We performed multivariate Cox regression analysis on preoperative variables in 260 clinically localized prostate cancer patients who underwent RP. With these data, we constructed a relative risk of recurrence (Rr) equation and an equation to predict the probability of extracapsular extension (PECE) before RP., Results: Rr is calculated as exp[(0.47 x race + 0.14 x PSAST) + (0.13 x worst biopsy Gleason sum) + (1.03 x stage T1c) + (1.55 x stage T2b,c)], where PSAST indicates a sigmoidal transformation of prostate-specific antigen. PECE is calculated as 1/[1 + exp(-Z)], where Z = -2.47 + 0.15 (PSAST) + 0.31 (worst biopsy Gleason sum) + 0.18 (race) + 0.16 (stage T1c) + 0.38 (stage T2b,c)., Conclusion: These two equations can be used preoperatively to predict the probability of extracapsular disease and the risk of prostate-specific antigen recurrence in patients undergoing RP.

Purpose: We assess the neovascularity of clinically localized prostate cancer by immunohistochemistry using the monoclonal antibody CD34 in an attempt to identify associations between angiogenesis and disease progression following radical prostatectomy., Materials and Methods: Microvascularity was evaluated using the CD34 monoclonal antibody in archival paraffin embedded radical prostatectomy specimens from 149 patients followed from 3 to 10 years (mean 6.6). Vessels were quantified by counting a minimum of 2 selected microscopic fields (200x, 0.754 mm.2) from each tumor, area of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostatic hyperplasia, and given a numerical value representing the microvessel density count., Results: Mean microvessel density count did not vary significantly with age or race. There was a significant association between the count and nuclear grade, Gleason sum and pathological stage. Cox survival analysis shows that microvessel density is significantly related to time to recurrence when considered as a continuous variable (p=0.03) as well as dichotomous variable (p=0.007) (microvessel density count less than 90 and 90 or greater). The 5-year recurrence-free survival was significantly higher for patients with a count less than 90 (71%) than for those with a count 90 or greater (51%) (p=0.006). The 5-year recurrence-free survival was also significantly different when microvessel density was used as a continuous variable (p=0.02). Controlling for stage, Gleason sum, race and nuclear grade, microvessel density remained significant in predicting recurrence (p=0.03) but when pretreatment prostate specific antigen was included in the model the count was no longer significant. The microvessel density count in the tumor area significantly increased with increasing Gleason sum and nuclear grade but it did not increase significantly in the adjacent benign prostate or areas of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in the same specimen., Conclusions: Microvascularity or neovascularity as measured by the CD34 antigen may be a prognostic marker of recurrence for prostate cancer patients after radical prostatectomy but more study in prostate specific antigen era patients with sufficient followup is needed.

Objectives: Prostate cancer (PCa) has a familial predisposition imparting an increased risk of developing the disease in those with a family history. The pathologic characteristics are similar to sporadic cases; however, the disease-free survival rates of hereditary PCa have recently been disputed, with one major study suggesting that familial cases have higher recurrence rates. Our study seeks to support or refute this association and to evaluate the genetic biomarkers p53, bcl-2, Ki-67, and neovascularity between familial and sporadic disease., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data of 573 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy over an 11-year period. Of these, 474 patients had known family history data. Univariable statistical analysis using the Pearson chi-square test and Kaplan-Meier disease-free survival analysis was performed to identify any correlation between the tested variables and family history. Smaller subsets of this cohort that had available archival material for immunohistochemical staining and family history data were analyzed in a similar manner., Results: The preoperative variables (prostate-specific antigen, prostatic acid phosphatase, clinical stage, highest biopsy Gleason sum, and glandular differentiation) and postoperative variables (stage, highest Gleason sum, and glandular differentiation) did not correlate with family history. Kaplan-Meier disease-free survival analysis revealed no differences between sporadic and familial cases. The analysis of p53, bcl-2, Ki-67, and angiogenesis revealed that only increasing p53 expression and positive family history of PCa approached significance (P = 0.057)., Conclusions: Prognostic variables routinely used in PCa and selected genetic biomarker immunostaining abnormalities are not significantly different in men with and without a family history of PCa. Disease-free survival after radical prostatectomy is also unaffected by family history.

Purpose: Biostatistical models predicting the risk of recurrence after radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer are necessary. Identifying these high risk patients shortly after surgery, while tumor burden is minimal, makes them candidates for possible adjuvant therapy and/or investigational phase II clinical trials. This study builds on previously proposed models that predict the likelihood of early recurrence after radical prostatectomy., Materials and Methods: In our analysis we evaluate age, race, prostatic acid phosphatase and nuclear grade with the established prognostic variables of pretreatment prostate specific antigen, postoperative Gleason sum and pathological stage., Results: After multivariable Cox regression analysis using only statistically significant variables that predicted recurrence we developed an equation that calculates the relative risk of recurrence (Rr) as: Rr = exp[(0.51 x Race) + (0.12 x PSAST) + (0.25 x Postop Gleason sum) + (0.89 x Organ Conf.). These cases are then categorized into 3 distinct risk groups of relative risk of recurrence of low (< 10.0), intermediate (10.0 to 30.0) and high (> 30.0). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of these 3 risk groups reveals that each category has significantly different risks of recurrence (p < 0.05). This model is validated with an independent cohort of radical prostatectomy patients treated at a different medical center by multiple primary surgeons., Conclusions: This model suggests that race, preoperative prostate specific antigen, postoperative Gleason sum and pathological stage are important independent prognosticators of recurrence after radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer. Race should be considered in future models that attempt to predict the likelihood of recurrence after surgery.

Purpose: We examine the clinical prognostic value of the currently available simple and inexpensive immunoenzymatic prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) assay for the staging and prognosis of radical prostatectomy cases., Materials and Methods: Between February 1, 1990 and May 3, 1996 pretreatment PAP was measured in 295 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. From February 1, 1990 to May 17, 1992 the Hybritech Tandem-E assay was used in 75 cases, from May 18, 1992 to February 28, 1993 the Abbott EIA assay was used in 49 and from March 1, 1993 to May 3, 1996 the Abbott IMx assay was used in 171. PAP assays were analyzed individually and the results were combined with pretreatment prostate specific antigen (PSA) values to assess the ability to predict organ confined prostate cancer and serological recurrence after radical prostatectomy., Results: PAP testing was not of value for predicting organ confined disease or positive margins. However, this test was useful for predicting the first serological PSA recurrence in the 3 periods (77 to 85% correct) and overall (82% correct, p < 0.001, odds ratio 6.06). The Kaplan-Meier disease-free survival rate at 4 years was 78.8% for men with PAP less than 3 ng./ml. and 38.8% for those with PAP 3 ng./ml. or greater, which was significant when pretreatment PSA was less than 10 ng./ml. (p = 0.047), 10 ng./ml. or greater (p = 0.012) and overall (p < 0.001). PAP testing added prognostic information to pretreatment PSA values and it was an independent predictor of recurrence., Conclusions: The widely available and inexpensive PAP assays of the 1990s are predictors of recurrence after radical prostatectomy. They should be included in future studies of prostate cancer recurrence modeling. However, they do not predict pathological stage or margin status.

Perineal needle tract seeding of prostate cancer is an unusual complication of perineal prostate biopsy. We report a case with the longest known interval from biopsy to perineal recurrence--14 years. The prostate-specific antigen did not become detectable until 12 years after biopsy and no other metastases were apparent, suggesting that the patient's perineal disease was an isolated recurrence. Immunohistochemical staining of the perineal recurrence and the original biopsy and prostate for the p53 tumor suppressor gene and bcl-2 oncogene proteins revealed rare/absent p53 expression but marked increased bcl-2 expression. This unusual molecular pedigree may help to explain this rare clinical scenario.

Background: Clinical and pathological staging of prostate cancer has been, and remains, problematic. Since prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-detected tumors are often discerned during "screening," what are their significance?, Methods: We analyzed 67 consecutive patients with stage T1c prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy at our institution from August 1, 1991-September 12, 1995, and who had whole-mount specimen processing. Diagnosis was determined in all cases by transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy., Results: The mean age of our patients was 63 years, and the mean PSA at time of diagnosis was 8.6 ng/ml (median, 7.2 ng/ml). There was organ-confined cancer in 31/67 (46%) patients; 17/67 (25%) had periprostatic fat infiltration, and of these 5(7%) had seminal vesicle involvement. Thirty-one of 67 (46%) had positive surgical margins. Twenty-two (33%) had a Gleason sum of > or = 7 in the final pathological specimen. Insignificant tumors (dominant tumor volume < 0.20 cc) were found in only 4 cases. Smaller tumors were more likely to be found when the PSA was < 10 ng/ml. Multifocal disease was found in 64/67 (96%) prostate specimens., Conclusions: This study adds impetus to the growing realization that nonpalpable prostate cancer, detected because of elevated PSA, is rarely insignificant. Our findings add further emphasis to the fact that patients diagnosed by PSA elevation have, for the most part, significant cancer that should be treated aggressively.

Background: Approximately 50-60% of patients treated with radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate carcinoma are found to have microscopic disease that is not organ-confined, and a significant portion of these patients will relapse. Multiple studies have attempted to identify these high risk patients by evaluating many potential prognostic variables. These studies, however, have not included the more recent molecular biomarkers found to be independent predictors of disease recurrence., Methods: One hundred thirty-two patients who underwent radical prostatectomy at one center between 1986 and 1993 were subjected to a multivariable Cox regression analysis to determine the preoperative and postoperative variables that remain significant predictors for the likelihood of serologic recurrence. The preoperative variables included in the model were age, race, and prostate specific antigen(PSA); the postoperative variables were Gleason sum, nuclear grade, pathologic stage (capsular status), p53 tumor suppressor gene expression, bcl-2 protooncogene expression, and proliferative biomarker Ki-67 expression. Biomarkers were also evaluated separately., Results: A model was developed using only variables that remained significant predictors for the likelihood of recurrence. The following equation calculated the relative risk of recurrence: Rw = exp [(0.70 x Race) + (0.79 x PSA[4.1-10]) + (1.34 x PSA[>10]) + ( 0.91 x Organ confinement) + (0.65 x p53[1,2+]) + (1.45 x p53[3,4+]) + (0.70 x bcl-2)]. This equation categorized men into 3 distinct risk groups (low: Rr < 5.0; intermediate: Rr = 5.0-15.0; high risk: Rr > 15.0)., Conclusions: This equation allows patients at high risk for PSA recurrence to be identified shortly after radical surgery. These patients at high risk for serologic recurrence and eventual progression may be considered for currently accepted adjuvant therapy or enrollment in clinical trials for the newer investigational therapies for locally advanced prostate carcinoma.

Purpose: We assessed the cellular proliferation of clinically localized prostate cancer by immunohistochemistry using the monoclonal antibody MIB to Ki-67 antigen in an attempt to identify associations between proliferative indexes and disease progression following radical prostatectomy., Materials and Methods: Ki-67 proliferative antigen was evaluated using MIB 1 monoclonal antibody in archival paraffin embedded radical prostatectomy specimens from 180 patients followed for 1 to 9 years (mean 4.4). The percentage of tumor nuclei expressing Ki-67 antigen was measured and assigned and MIB 1 score (none or rare--negative, 1+--low score and 2 to 4+--high score) and analyzed for prostate specific antigen, stage, age, race, grade and serological recurrence postoperatively., Results: There was a significant association between MIB 1 score and nuclear grade (p < 0.001), Gleason score (p < 0.001) and pathological stage (p = 0.01). Patients with a high MIB 1 score had earlier progression and a lower 5-year recurrence-free survival rate (44%) than those with negative MIB 1 scores (71%, p < 0.001). In multivariate Cox regression analysis with backward elimination, pathological stage (p < 0.01), pretreatment prostate specific antigen (p = 0.04) and MIB 1 score (p = 0.05) were statistically significant predictors of disease-free survival, and patients with a high MIB 1 score were 3.1 times as likely to have recurrence as those with a negative score. Controlling for stage, patients with organ confined disease and a high MIB 1 score had a lower 5-year disease-free survival rate (68%) than those with a low MIB 1 score (95%, p < 0.01)., Conclusions: Proliferative activity as measured by the Ki-67 proliferative antigen, MIB 1, appears to be a prognostic marker of recurrent prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy.

Purpose: We determined if black men with clinically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate have the same recurrence-free outcome following radical prostatectomy, and whether they have similar preoperative, operative and pathological characteristics as white men in an equal access health care environment., Materials and Methods: We studied consecutive single hospital case series of 366 white and 107 black patients who underwent radical prostatectomy between 1975 and February 29, 1995. Evaluation included comprehensive retrospective chart review, prospective data collection and proactive followup. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were done of preoperative, operative, pathological and recurrence data by race., Results: Although the incidences of hypertension and diabetes, pretreatment prostate specific antigen (PSA) and serum creatinine measurements, elevated PSA as an indication for biopsy and clinical stage were greater in black men, the operative variables of blood loss, operative time and performance of a nerve sparing procedure were not different. The incidence of margin positivity was greater in black patients but pathological stage, Gleason score and seminal vesicle or nodal involvement were not different. Black race was an adverse prognostic factor for recurrence following radical prostatectomy after multivariate adjustment for pretreatment PSA and acid phosphatase, organ confinement status and tumor grade., Conclusions: The poorer recurrence-free outcome for black patients even after multivariate adjustment suggests a potentially more aggressive variant of prostate cancer in this population, the etiology of which is unknown. Race should be a stratification factor in clinical trials, especially those including radical prostatectomy and using recurrence-free outcome as an end point.

Purpose: We determined if immunohistochemical expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor and cathepsin D in the primary tumor was of prognostic value in clinically localized prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy., Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for epidermal growth factor receptor and cathepsin D was performed on 105 radical prostatectomy specimens from 2 academic centers. The epidermal growth factor receptor and cathepsin D expressions were graded using H scoring by an experienced pathologist blinded to other patient data, and compared with age, grade, stage, race and initial serologic (prostate specific antigen) recurrence. Univariate and multivariate statistical testing was performed., Results: Immunohistochemically detectable epidermal growth factor receptor and cathepsin D expression was not correlated to age, race, stage or Gleason grade. In univariate and multivariate testing epidermal growth factor receptor and cathepsin D were not prognostic markers for disease progression following radical prostatectomy., Conclusions: Immunohistochemical analysis of the biomarkers cathepsin D and epidermal growth factor receptor in radical prostatectomy specimens does not predict disease recurrence. Further biological marker study is needed in clinically localized prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is rare in young adults and when clinically detected it has been invariably locally or distantly advanced, undifferentiated and exhibiting aggressive behavior. To our knowledge no previous report documents clinically detected and localized disease amenable to curative surgery in a young adult. We report on a 29-year-old man with clinically detected, moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the prostate who was treated by nerve sparing radical retropubic prostatectomy. The patient was disease-free and morbidity-free 30 months after treatment.

A sixty-eight-year-old black man with clinical Stage A1 (T1a) adenocarcinoma of the prostate was found to have a tortuous and redundant left external iliac artery directly overlying the superior aspect of the prostate gland. The location of this blood vessel precluded radical retropubic prostatectomy. To our knowledge, this is the first reported example of this clinical situation. Computer-generated three-dimensional imaging from the computed tomography scan allowed accurate assessment of the vascular anomaly.

A total of 441 stage T1-2N0M0 and 11 stage T1-2N0M0 cancer patients with an elevated acid phosphatase level only, and 18 stage T1-2N+M0 cancer patients underwent radical prostatectomy. Analysis of the 441 stage T1-2N0M0 cancer patients demonstrated that failure and survival were a function of the disease being organ-confined, specimen-confined or margin-positive, with 10-year failure rates of 12, 30 and 60%, respectively. Of the patients with positive margins 44 were and 79 were not irradiated postoperatively. Postoperative radiation produced no survival advantage. No difference in interval to failure or of survival could be identified between 105 patients whose disease was diagnosed by transurethral resection and 328 who had a palpable abnormality. Eleven patients had negative bone and node findings but they had an elevated acid phosphatase level. All 8 patients not treated with immediate androgen deprivation failed within 36 months.

A group of 159 patients previously reported as having margins positive for disease after radical prostatectomy with or without adjunctive postoperative radiation was reanalyzed to determine whether the reported benefit did indeed exist. Upon re-examination of the 159 patients 15 were identified who did not receive radical prostatectomy but who were analyzed as if they had received this therapy. An updated review of the total pool of 159 patients with analysis as to failure, death of any cause or death of prostatic cancer demonstrated no benefit of postoperative radiation therapy for margin positive disease. Exclusion of patients who did not receive radical prostatectomy and analysis as described also failed to identify any benefit of postoperative adjunctive radiation therapy.

BACKGROUND:Selecting appropriate candidates for postprostatectomy radiotherapy is challenging, because adverse pathological features cannot accurately predict clinical recurrence. Biomarkers that identify residual disease activity may assist clinicians when counseling patients on the risks, benefits and costs of secondary treatment. NADiA ProsVue PSA slope results ⩽2.0 pg ml−1 month−1 are predictive of a reduced risk of clinical recurrence; however, its clinical utility has not yet been studied.METHODS:We prospectively enrolled men treated by radical prostatectomy in a multicenter, institutional review board-approved clinical trial. At postsurgical follow-up, investigators (N=17) stratified men into low-, intermediate- or high-risk groups for prostate cancer recurrence based on clinicopathological findings and other factors. Investigators documented their initial treatment plan for each subject and serially collected three serum samples for ProsVue testing. After the ProsVue result was reported, investigators recorded whether or not the initial treatment plan was changed. The proportion of cases referred for secondary treatment before and after ProsVue was reported, and the significance of the difference determined.RESULTS:Complete assessments were reported for 225 men, 128 (56.9%) of whom were stratified into intermediate- and high-risk groups. Investigators reported that they would have referred 41/128 (32.0%) at-risk men for secondary treatment. However, after results were known, they referred only 15/128 (11.7%) men. The difference in proportions (−20.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI) −29.9 to −10.3%) is significant (P<0.0001). Odds of a referral was significantly reduced after results were reported (odds ratio 0.28, 95% CI 0.15-0.54, P<0.0001).CONCLUSIONS:Knowledge of a ProsVue result had significant impact on the final treatment plan. A ProsVue result ⩽2.0 pg ml−1 month−1 significantly reduced the proportion of men at risk of recurrence who otherwise would have been referred for secondary treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:To investigate racial differences in tumor burden (cancer volume, cancer percentage and cancer to PSA ratios) in a large cohort of men undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP).Methods:Demographic, clinical and pathological data of patients undergoing RP between 1993-2010 were reviewed and compared between African-American (AA) and non African-American (nAA) men. Further assessments of pathological tumor burden (estimated tumor volume, percent of cancer involvement, and estimated tumor volume/PSA ratios) were performed across Gleason score categories.Results:Of 4157 patients in the analysis, 604 (14.5%) were AA. Overall, AA patients were younger, had higher Gleason scores, PSA levels and incidence of palpable disease (all P<0.001). Despite comparable prostate weights (39.4 vs. 39.6 g), AA men had higher percent cancer involvement and estimated tumor volume (all P<0.001) but similar estimated tumor volume/PSA ratios (P>0.05). When stratified by Gleason scores, prostate weights were comparable; however, estimated tumor volume, percent cancer involvement and estimated tumor volume/PSA ratios were higher in AA men with low grade (6) prostate cancer (PCa), similar in intermediate grade (7-8) and lower in high grade (9-10) PCa compared to nAA men.Conclusions:In this large series, AA patients had higher disease burden (estimated tumor volume, percent cancer involvement, estimated tumor volume/PSA ratios) compared to nAA but this association was especially pronounced in low grade (Gleason 6) cancers. These data depict a complex picture of relations between race and tumor burden across the spectrum of PCa aggressiveness. Further investigation is warranted to understand the mechanisms of racial disparities in PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is associated with increased risk of positive surgical margins and prostate specific antigen (PSA) recurrence among men undergoing radical prostatectomy. To what degree positive margins contribute to poorer outcome is unclear. Thus, we sought to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and more objective measures of tumor aggressiveness, tumor grade and size. We carried out a retrospective analysis of 2302 patients treated with radical prostatectomy at the Duke Prostate Center from 1988–2007. Tumor volume was calculated by multiplying prostate weight by percent of specimen involved with cancer. Associations between BMI and tumor volume and high-grade disease (Gleason4+3) independent of pre-operative clinical characteristics of age, race, PSA, clinical stage, biopsy Gleason sum, and year of surgery were assessed using linear and logistic regression, respectively. Mean and median BMI among all subjects was 28.1 and 27.6 kg m–2, respectively. Increased BMI was significantly associated with younger age (P<0.001), black race (P<0.001), more recent year of surgery (P<0.001), and positive surgical margins (P<0.001). After adjusting for multiple clinical pre-operative characteristics, higher BMI was associated with a greater percent of the prostate involved with cancer (P=0.003), increased tumor volume (P<0.001), and high-grade disease (P=0.007). Men with a BMI 35 kg m2 had nearly 40% larger mean tumor volumes than normal weight men (5.1 versus 3.7 cc), after adjustment for multiple clinical characteristics. In this study, obese men undergoing radical prostatectomy had higher-grade and larger tumors, providing further evidence that obese men undergoing radical prostatectomy have more aggressive prostate cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the timing and patterns of late recurrence after radical prostatectomy (RP) alone or RP plus adjuvant radiotherapy (RT). Between 1970 and 1983, 159 patients underwent RP for newly diagnosed adenocarcinoma of the prostate and were found to have positive surgical margins, extracapsular extension and/or seminal vesicle invasion. Of these, 46 received adjuvant RT and 113 did not. The RT group generally received 45–50 Gy to the whole pelvis, then a boost to the prostate bed (total dose of 55–65 Gy). In the RP group, 62% received neoadjuvant/adjuvant androgen deprivation vs 17% in the RT group. Patients were analyzed with respect to timing and patterns of failure. Only one patient was lost to follow-up. The median follow-up for surviving patients was nearly 20 years. The median time to failure in the surgery group was 7.5 vs 14.7 years in the RT group (P=0.1). Late recurrences were less common in the surgery group than the RT group (9 and 1% at 10 and 15 years, respectively vs 17 and 9%). In contrast to recurrences, nearly half of deaths from prostate cancer occurred more than 10 years after treatment. Deaths from prostate cancer represented 55% of all deaths in these patients. Recurrences beyond 10 years after RP in this group of patients were relatively uncommon. Despite its long natural history, death from prostate cancer was the most common cause of mortality in this population with locally advanced tumors, reflecting the need for more effective therapy.Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases (2006) 9, 254–260. doi:10.1038/sj.pcan.4500903; published online 1 August 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A wide range of p53 mutations (5-65%), detected by various methods, has been reported in primary prostate cancers (CaP). IHC staining of radical prostatectomy specimens shows marked heterogeneity of focally distributed p53-positive cells. However, a significant relationship between the focal staining of p53 and cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy has been noted. Increased frequency of p53 mutations has been generally observed in advanced stage CaP and metastatic prostate cancer cell lines. The significance of focal p53 immunostaining in primary CaP remains uncertain with respect to the p53 gene mutation or tumor progression. The goal of this study was to evaluate p53 gene mutations in focal regions of primary prostate cancers positive by p53 immunostaining.Methods: Whole-mount prostates from men with clinically organ-confined prostate cancer were immunostained for p53 protein. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) was used to harvest p53 positive cells from areas of tumor and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and benign gland. DNA from microdissected cells were amplified for p53 exons 5-8 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analyzed for mutations by single strand conformation polymorphism and DNA sequencing. Mutation analysis of the p53 gene exons 5-8 was performed in the p53 immunostaining positive focal regions (1+ to 4+) of whole-mount prostate sections from 16 patients.Results: Of 16 patients with p53 IHC positive tumors, 11 (69%) had p53 gene mutations as determined by DNA sequence analysis. However, randomly microdissected tumor cells from 4 of 18 patients (22%) negative for p53 IHC also demonstrated mutations in the p53 gene. A significant fraction of prostate tumors with focally positive immunostaining for p53 have been confirmed to contain mutations in the p53 gene.Conclusions: p53 immunostaining guided LCM combined with DNA-based analyses emphasizes the presence of focal p53 mutations in primary prostate cancers and underscores the significance of previous observations showing a correlation between focal p53 immunostaining in primary CaP and cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy.Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases (2003) 6, 281-285. doi:10.1038/sj.pcan.4500665 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which evaluated the efficacy of controlled close step-sectioned and whole-mounted radical prostatectomy specimen processing in the prediction of clinical outcome as compared to the traditional processing techniques. Pathological assessment of specimens; Evaluation of the effectiveness of radical prostatectomy; Use of the multi-variate logistic regression method.

Urologists routinely use the systematic sextant needle biopsy technique to detect prostate cancer. However, recent evidence suggests that this technique has a significant sampling error and data based upon whole-mounted step-sectioned radical prostatectomy specimens using a three-dimensional computer-assisted prostate biopsy simulator suggests that an increased detection rate is possible using laterally placed biopsies. The simulated 10-core biopsy pattern (traditional sextant biopsy cores and four laterally placed biopsies in the right and left apex and mid portion of the prostate gland) was shown to be superior to the traditional sextant biopsy. The objective of this pilot study was to confirm the higher prostate cancer detection rate obtained using the 10-core biopsy pattern in patients. We reviewed data on 35 consecutive patients with a pathologic diagnosis of prostate cancer biopsied by a single urologist using the 10-core biopsy pattern. The frequency of positive biopsy was determined for each core. Additionally, the sextant and 10-core prostate biopsy patterns were compared with respect to prostate cancer detection rate. Of the 35 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, 54.3%(19/35) were diagnosed by the sextant biopsy only. The 10-core pattern resulted in an additional 45.7%(16/35) of patients being diagnosed solely with the laterally placed biopsies. The laterally placed biopsies had the highest frequency of positive biopsies when compared to the sextant cores. In conclusion, biopsy protocols that use laterally placed biopsies based upon a five region anatomical model are superior to the routinely used sextant prostate biopsy pattern. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases (2000) 3, 43–46 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of patient-self reported post prostatectomy incontinence, impotence, bladder neck contracture or stricture, better, same or worse quality of life and willingness for same treatment again in a large group of radical prostatectomy (RP) patients and to determine if these morbidities are predictable with demographic, surgical or prostate cancer (PC) factors. Methods: A patient self-reporting questionnaire was completed and returned by 374 out of 458 eligible (81.7%) RP patients from one center, 267 (72.2%) have been operated since 1990 and all of whom were a minimum six month postoperative (75%>1 y). Questionnaire results were independently analyzed by a third party and correlated to demographic, operative, and tumor factors in an ongoing comprehensive PC database. Results: The patient self-reported incidence of post prostatectomy incontinence (any degree), impotence, and bladder neck contracture or stricture was 72.2, 87.4, and 25.9%, respectively. The reported rate of incontinence requiring protection was 39.0% and only 2.4% had persistent bladder neck contracture/stricture. Pathologic stage (continuous variable) was the only factor to significantly predict incontinence and no factor could predict impotence or bladder neck contracture/stricture in univariate analysis. No factor was predictive of morbidity by multivariate analysis. Despite incontinence and impotence significantly affecting QOL self-reporting (P=0.001, 0.001, respectively) and willingness to undergo RP again (P=0.001, 0.067, respectively), the majority of patients would choose surgery again. Conclusions: Although radical prostatectomy morbidity is common and affects patient-reported overall QOL, most patients would choose the same treatment again. Demographic, preoperative, operative, and tumor factors did not reliably predict patient-reported morbidity in this series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]