Improving prostate cancer detection with an extended-core transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy protocol

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether taking two transition zone (TZ) and four lateral peripheral zone (PZ) biopsies in addition to routine parasaggital sextant biopsies would improve detection rates in men with suspected prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 493 consecutive men (mean age 68.7 years, sd 8.2) with elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and/or abnormal findings on a digital rectal examination who underwent transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy. In addition to sextant biopsies, six further biopsies were obtained, two from the TZ (mid-gland) and four from the lateral PZ (base and mid-gland). Pathological findings for the additional biopsies were compared with those of the sextant regions. RESULTS: Prostatic adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in 164 of the 493 (33%) men biopsied. Men with cancer were older, had smaller prostates and higher median PSA levels than men with negative biopsies. Sextant biopsies were positive for cancer in 133 of 164 (81%) men. All three sets of biopsies were positive in 53 (32%) cases. In 50 (30%) men both the sextant and lateral PZ biopsies were positive, while in six (4%) men, both sextant and TZ biopsies were positive. Thirty-one (19%) tumours were not detected by sextant biopsies, 10 (6%) where the lateral PZ biopsies alone were positive, 17 (10%) where the TZ biopsies alone were positive and four (3%) where both the TZ and lateral PZ together were positive. There were no differences in median PSA concentration, total prostate volume or TZ volume between men with an isolated TZ cancer and men with cancer elsewhere in the prostate. However, 77% of men with TZ cancer had a PSA of > 10 ng/mL, compared with 60% of men with cancer at other sites within the prostate (P = 0.015). CONCLUSION: An extended-core biopsy protocol significantly improves the detection rate for prostate cancer when compared with the standard sextant biopsy protocol alone. Routine TZ biopsies should be considered for men with serum PSA levels of >10 ng/mL.     

Does transurethral resection of the prostate facilitate detection of clinically significant prostate cancer that is missed with systematic sextant and transition zone biopsies?

BACKGROUND: A prospective study was conducted to determine whether transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) facilitates detection of prostate cancer that is missed with systematic sextant biopsies associated with transition zone (TZ) biopsies. METHODS: A total of 139 consecutive patients underwent transperineal TZ biopsies of each lobe in addition to a transrectal systematic sextant peripheral zone (PZ) biopsy. Patients whose biopsies were negative for cancer received TURP for relief of lower urinary tract obstruction when indicated. RESULTS: Cancer was detected in biopsy specimens of 40 patients. Of these cancers, 18 originated in the PZ alone and 22 were located both in the TZ and the PZ. No cancers were detected in the TZ alone. Of 99 patients who were proven not to have cancer by the biopsies, 18 were indicated for TURP. Five of these patients (28%) had cancer in the resected tissues. All cancers were clinically organ confined and their Gleason sum scores were 2-5. Cancer-positive chips accounted for less than 10% of all resected specimens. Of the 66 patients with negative biopsies and without indication for TURP, four (6%) were revealed to have an elevation of the serum PSA level during follow up. They were later proven to have cancer by a second biopsy. CONCLUSION: Routine use of TZ biopsy is not warranted for detection of cancer. Transurethral resection of the prostate can detect cancers in patients with negative PZ and TZ biopsies. However, cancers detected by TURP may not always be clinically significant and only four of 66 patients who were not indicated for TURP and received a close follow up were later found to have cancer, although their follow-up period was short. Thus, it still remains to be elucidated whether TURP is necessary for all patients with negative biopsies of the prostate.     

Comparison of Gleason scores from sextant prostate biopsies and radical prostatectomy specimens.

OBJECTIVES: We compared the Gleason scores obtained from sextant prostate biopsy and radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens in patients with localized prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-one patients having a clinical diagnosis of localized prostate cancer underwent needle biopsy under transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) and RP. Grading and staging were assigned based on Gleason scores and the TNM system, respectively. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 65.5 +/- 13.43 years and mean PSA level was 14.69 +/- 3.95. Mean Gleason score for prostate biopsy and RP specimen were 5.85 +/- 0.7 and 6.34 +/- 1.44, respectively. With respect to clinical stage, there were 20 patients in stage 1 and 41 patients in stage 2 prostate cancer. Comparing the Gleason scores, the biopsy score was lower in 26 (42.26%) and higher than RP specimens in 7 (11.84%) cases, and there was agreement between the biopsy and RP specimens in 28 (45.9%) patients. The difference between the two Gleason scores was +/- 1 for 18 patients (29.5%) and +/- 2 or more for 17 patients (27.86%). CONCLUSION: In our study, high Gleason score biopsies with elevated PSA level (>10 ng/ml) were risk factors for extraprostatic extension, and we demonstrated that Gleason scores were significantly correlated with seminal vesicle and lymph node invasion (p < 0.05). The Gleason scores of biopsy and RP specimens agreed with 45.9% of TRUS-guided sextant prostate biopsies, and this ratio was 91.1% in moderately differentiated tumors Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel     

Frequency and clinical significance of transition zone cancer in prostate cancer screening

Approximately 20% of prostate cancers originate in the transition zone (TZ). Although transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and systematic biopsies have improved peripheral zone (PZ) cancer diagnosis, additional biopsies directed into the TZ may further improve cancer detection. To evaluate the frequency and clinical significance of TZ cancers, we added two TZ biopsies to the routinely performed sextant biopsies. Three hundred forty patients (aged 45–75) from our prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening study (21,078 volunteers) with negative rectal examination findings underwent systematic and TZ biopsies with three-dimensional ultrasound equipment. All patients had elevated PSA levels according to age-specific reference ranges. Ninety-eight of 340 men (28.5%) had biopsies positive for cancer. Of these 98 cancers, 28 (28%) originated in the TZ only and 5 (5%) were located in the TZ as well as the PZ. Eight men showed TZ abnormalities on ultrasound images, of whom four had biopsies positive for TZ cancer. The TZ cancers detected were pathologically significant in 96% (27 of 28). Seventy-one percent (20 of 28) of pathologically staged cancers were found to be organ confined and all combined TZ and PZ cancers were advanced tumors. We conclude that TZ biopsies enhance the cancer detection rate in prostate cancer screening and should therefore be added to the routinely done sextant biopsies in men with PSA elevation and normal digital rectal examination findings. Prostate 30:130–135, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Transition zone biopsy and prediction of extraprostatic extension at radical prostatectomy

BACKGROUND: There is limited data in the literature that suggests that transition zone (TZ) biopsy might be useful for the prediction of extraprostatic extension (EPE) in clinically localized prostate cancer. We studied the role of TZ biopsy in the prediction of EPE. METHODS: Transition zone biopsies were performed in addition to systematic peripheral zone (PZ) biopsies between November 1995 and December 1999. During this period, 59 patients underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized disease. Final pathological results were compared with preoperative clinical and biopsy findings. RESULTS: Of the 59 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, 46 had cancer only in the PZ cores and 13 had cancer both in the PZ and the TZ cores at the biopsy. Final histopathological results revealed EPE in 19 (32%) patients and positive surgical margins in 22 (37%). In univariate analysis of age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), mean percentage of positive PZ cores, mean biopsy Gleason score and positive TZ biopsy, there was a significant difference for serum PSA levels (P = 0.021), presence of positive TZ cores (P = 0.018) and percentage of positive PZ cores in patients with and without EPE (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the single independent predictor of EPE was the percentage of positive PZ biopsy cores (P = 0.0227). There was agreement between the side of positive TZ biopsy and EPE in seven of eight patients. CONCLUSION: Taking two TZ cores in addition to peripheral sextant biopsy did not result in better prediction of EPE. The relationship between TZ involvement and the presence of EPE can be investigated further in radical prostatectomy specimens.     

Twelve prostate biopsies detect significant cancer volumes (> 0.5 mL)

OBJECTIVES: To compare, in a retrospective study, pathological specimens of prostate cancer detected in additional areas of a 12-core biopsy with tumours detected using traditional sextant biopsy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 27 patients who had undergone radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer. Prostatectomy specimens of cancers detected using standard sextant biopsies were compared with those detected using six additional core biopsies. The RP specimens were analysed for cancer volume, Gleason score, tumour grade (Mostofi) and pathological stage. RESULTS: Of the 27 patients, six (29%) had cancer detected in the extra six biopsy cores which would have otherwise have been undetected using sextant biopsy. Only two insignificant cancers were detected. The mean Gleason score was 6.1 for cancer detected by the sextant or 12-core method (P = 0.907); the mean grade (Mostofi) was 2.1 and 2. 33, respectively (P = 0.29). The final tumour stage in the 21 patients undergoing sextant biopsy was pT2 in 13 and pT3 in eight, compared with six pT2 tumours in the six patients diagnosed using extra biopsies. The mean (median, range) tumour volume was 5.7 (3.5, 0.312-23.75) mL for cancers detected on sextant biopsy and 1.99 (1. 85, 0.4-3.6) mL in the six cancers detected using extra cores (P = 0. 0138). CONCLUSION: The detection of prostate cancer was increased using extra biopsy cores. There was a significant difference in tumour volume but not in Gleason score, Mostofi grade or final pathological tumour stage between tumours diagnosed using 12 cores and those detected on sextant biopsy.     

The value of multiple core biopsies for predicting the Gleason score of prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of Gleason grading of prostate cancer in multiple core biopsies, compared with the final Gleason score of total prostatectomy specimens, and to investigate whether the prediction of the correct Gleason score is improved by increasing the number of biopsies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Before total prostatectomy, 121 men had a mean (range) of 10.0 (8-14) transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided core biopsies taken from the apex, mid-medial, mid-lateral and basal regions, from the transition zone and from lesions detected on TRUS. The biopsies and prostatectomy specimens were reviewed and the Gleason scores assessed. RESULTS: The preoperative biopsies predicted the prostatectomy Gleason score exactly in 45.5% of the patients and within one Gleason score in 93.4%. The biopsies under-graded the prostate cancer in 38.8% and overgraded it in 15.7%. The weighted kappa value for exact agreement was 0.502. If one biopsy was positive for cancer, the prostatectomy Gleason score was predicted correctly in 43.8% and within one score in 93.8%, compared with 53.8% and 92.3%, respectively, if cancer was found in at least seven biopsies. If the mid-lateral and transition zone biopsies had been excluded from the biopsy protocol, 5% of the cancers would have been undetected. Among the remaining 115 cancers, grading accuracy only improved from 43.5% to 45.2% by adding biopsies to the sextant protocol. CONCLUSION: Despite a statistically significant agreement between biopsy and prostatectomy Gleason score, under-grading remains a major problem. The prediction of the prostatectomy Gleason score is only marginally improved by increasing the number of biopsies.     

Transition zone biopsy in the detection of prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE: About 25% of all prostate cancers occur in the transition zone (TZ). We analyzed the impact of 4 systematic TZ and 2 systematic apex (AP) biopsies in addition to systematic sextant biopsies in an effort to establish the diagnostic importance of early prostate cancer. METHODS: One hundred and thirty patients underwent systematic transperineal multipoint prostate biopsy (biopsy of 12 sites, including 4 TZ and 2 AP biopsies). RESULTS: Forty-one of 130 men (31.5%) had biopsy specimens positive for cancer, and cancer originated in the TZ alone in 4 of these 41 patients (9.8%). Fourteen patients underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy. We compare the pathological findings of radical prostatectomy specimens and biopsy results. Prostate cancers predicted to be stage T(2c) by TZ biopsy were all classified as pT(2c) or greater. CONCLUSIONS: Routine TZ biopsy does not substantially increase the prostate cancer detection rate; however, it can be useful in patients who require repeat biopsy.     

Significance of routine transition zone biopsies in Japanese men undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of additional routine transition zone (TZ) biopsies in Japanese men undergoing transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided systematic 8-core peripheral zone (PZ) biopsies. METHODS: Between October 2002 and December 2004, a total of 788 consecutive patients underwent TRUS-guided systematic biopsy of the prostate for the fi rst time. As a rule, 10 cores were taken from each patient; that is, 8 cores from the PZ, including the standard sextant cores and 2 cores from the anterior lateral horns, and 2 additional cores from the bilateral TZ. The cancer detection rate was calculated according to several parameters. We also assessed the disease extent on radical prostatectomy specimens according to the cancer location within the biopsy specimens. RESULTS: Prostate cancer was detected by 10-core biopsies in 209 (26.5%) of the 788 patients, and 11 of these patients had positive cores only in the TZ; that is, the increase in cancer detection rate by sampling two additional cores from the TZ was 5.3%. Among 209 patients diagnosed as having prostate cancer, radical prostatectomy without any neoadjuvant therapy was performed in 59 patients with positive biopsy cores in the PZ, 7 in the TZ and 32 in both the PZ and TZ. Patients with positive cores in both zones showed significantly less favorable characteristics, indicating more advanced disease than that in those with positive cores in either zone. CONCLUSIONS: Routine TZ biopsy did not significantly increase the detection rate of prostate cancer; however, the anatomical location of positive biopsy cores could provide additional information concerning disease extension in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.     

Tumour grade, proliferation, apoptosis, microvessel density, p53, and bcl-2 in prostate cancers: differences between tumours located in the transition zone and in the peripheral zone

OBJECTIVES: Transition zone (TZ) carcinomas of the prostate are thought to have less malignant potential than tumours that arise in the peripheral zone (PZ). It is unclear, however, whether this can be put down to anatomical reasons alone, or if there are further differences between tumours of both zones. METHODS: We examined Gleason scores, proliferation and apoptosis rates, microvessel density (MVD), p53 expression and bcl-2 expression in 76 paraffin-embedded radical prostatectomy specimens, containing 54 tumour foci in the TZ and 58 tumour foci in the PZ, matched for volume. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL) method was applied to detect apoptotic cells. Proliferation, MVD, p53, and bcl-2 were investigated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: There were significant differences between TZ tumours and PZ tumours in terms of the median Gleason scores (5 versus 7; P < 0.0001), the proliferation rate (3.2% versus 5.2%; P = 0.0003), and the MVD (68.5 versus 104; P = 0.0002), but the median apoptosis rate was quite similar (0.8% versus 0.9%). The p53 and bcl-2 expression were more frequent in PZ cancers as compared to TZ carcinomas (11% versus 2% and 27% versus 6%, respectively). CONCLUSION: There is evidence for lower Gleason scores as well as lower expression of markers related to tumour growth in TZ carcinomas of the prostate, which might contribute to a less malignant clinical behaviour as compared to PZ cancers.     

Correlation of positive prostate sextant biopsy locations to sites of positive surgical margins in radical prostatectomy specimens.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether sextant location of positive prostate biopsy predicts the site of positive surgical margins (PSM) at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP) in patients with clinical stage T1c prostate cancer. METHODS: A retrospective query of the Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR) database at our institution identified 456 patients with clinical stage T1c prostate cancer who underwent standard sextant prostate biopsy prior to RP. Each biopsy was submitted separately for pathologic analysis according to sextant location. The sextant location of positive biopsies was compared to the sites of PSM after RP. RESULTS: PSM were found in 129 of 456 (28%) RP specimens. The incidence of PSM at the prostate apex in patients with a positive or negative apical sextant biopsy was similar (9 and 8% respectively, p>0.05). The incidence of PSM at the prostate base in patients with a positive or negative sextant biopsy of the prostate base was also the same (7% in both groups, p>0.05). As the number of positive biopsy cores on one side of the prostate increased (0, 1, 2, and 3) so did the chance of an ipsilateral PSM (5.4, 16.2, 35.7 and 45.0%, respectively; p<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Positive sextant biopsy location (apex and base) does not correlate with site of PSM at RP. However, ipsilateral PSM are more likely as the number of positive sextant biopsies on that side increases. While pathologic processing of biopsy specimens according to longitudinal prostate location (base, mid and apex) is probably unnecessary, the number of positive biopsies on a given side may be useful preoperative information.     

Percentages of positive cores, cancer length and Gleason grade 4/5 cancer in systematic sextant biopsy are all predictive of adverse pathology and biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy

AIM: We investigated whether the quantitative parameters of systematic sextant biopsies were predictive of either adverse pathological findings or disease recurrence after radical prostatectomy (RP). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated a total of 117 men with untreated prostate cancer whose needle biopsies were matched with RP specimens. The pretreatment parameters of the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the PSA density, the percentage of positive biopsy cores, the percentage of cancer length and the percentage of Gleason grade 4/5 cancer in the biopsy were determined and compared with the pathological features of prostate cancer in RP specimens. These pretreatment parameters and pathological factors in the RP specimens, including the cancer volume, the percentage of Gleason grade 4/5 cancer, the positive surgical margin and the seminal vesicle invasion were evaluated for their ability to predict the disease recurrence. RESULTS: The percentages of positive biopsy cores, the Gleason grade 4/5 cancer in the biopsy and the cancer length in the biopsy had a weak correlation with the cancer volume in RP specimens (r = 0.373, 0.345, 0.408, respectively). All quantitative biopsy parameters were strongly predictive of the non-organ-confined status, the positive surgical margin and the seminal vesicle invasion in the logistic regression analysis. The percentage of positive biopsy cores and the percentage of Gleason grade 4/5 cancer in the biopsy predicted biochemical failure after RP. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that quantitative biopsy parameters are independent predictors of the adverse pathology of prostate cancers and disease recurrence after RP.     

A comparison of the biological features between prostate cancers arising in the transition and peripheral zones

OBJECTIVES: To investigate differences in the biological features of prostate cancer according to the zonal origin. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Among 172 consecutive patients who had a radical prostatectomy (RP), the study included 124 diagnosed as having either transition zone (TZ) or peripheral zone (PZ) cancer, defined according to whether there was > 70% of the cancer area in the TZ or PZ, respectively. The clinicopathological features were then compared between these groups. In addition, the RP specimens were stained immunohistochemically with antibodies to Ki-67, Bcl-2, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-9 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). RESULTS: Twenty-four patients were diagnosed as having TZ cancer and the remaining 100 as having PZ cancer. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) values in patients with TZ cancer were significantly higher than in those with PZ cancer. Tumour volume in TZ cancer was significantly greater than that in PZ cancer, but there was no significant difference in biochemical recurrence-free survival between the groups. Immunohistochemistry showed that despite there being no differences in Bcl-2 and VEGF expression between TZ and PZ cancers, there was significantly greater expression of Ki-67, MMP-2 and MMP-9 in PZ than TZ cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Despite there being no significant difference in biochemical recurrence-free survival after RP between patients with TZ and PZ cancers, there was less cell proliferation and biomarker levels related to invasive potential in TZ than in PZ cancers.     

Analysis of differences in clinicopathological features between prostate cancers located in the transition and peripheral zones

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to retrospectively characterize differences in the clinicopathological features of prostate cancer according to the zonal origin. METHODS: Among 185 consecutive patients who underwent radical prostatectomy without any neoadjuvant hormonal therapies, this study included 134 patients who were diagnosed as having either transition zone (TZ) or peripheral zone (PZ) cancer according to the following criteria: TZ or PZ cancers were considered when more than 70% of the cancer area was located in the TZ or PZ, respectively. The various clinicopathological features were then compared according to this classification. RESULTS: In this series, 27 patients were diagnosed as having TZ cancer, while the remaining 107 were diagnosed as having PZ cancer. The percent of positive biopsy cores in TZ cancers was significantly lower than that in PZ cancers; however, there were no significant differences in the anatomical location of positive cores between these two groups except for the middle of prostate where TZ cancer showed a significantly lower rate of positive biopsies than PZ cancer. The preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value in patients with TZ cancer was significantly higher than that in those with PZ cancer. Furthermore, tumor volume in TZ cancers was significantly greater than that in PZ cancers. However, there was no significant difference in biochemical recurrence-free survival between patients with TZ and PZ cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the significantly high PSA value as well as great tumor volume compared with those of PZ cancers, TZ cancers had similar biochemical cure rates following radical prostatectomy, suggesting a less aggressive phenotype of TZ cancers than that of PZ cancers.     

Increasing the number of biopsies increases the concordance of Gleason scores of needle biopsies and prostatectomy specimens

PURPOSE: To determine the importance of increasing the number of biopsy cores to decrease the discrepancy of Gleason scores of needle biopsy and radical prostatectomy specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 1998 and July 2005, 392 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer diagnosed by 18-gauge transrectal needle biopsy underwent radical prostatectomy. We categorized the cohort into 2 groups according to the number of the cores. Group 1 consisted of 206 patients diagnosed by extended biopsies (> or =10 cores, range 10-14, median 11). The remaining 186 patients who were diagnosed by sextant biopsies were categorized as being in group 2. Preoperative clinical variables, including patient age, digital rectal examination findings, serum prostate-specific antigen, and the number of cores positive for cancer the parameters, were assessed in both groups. The concordance of Gleason scores in both groups were analyzed by both individual Gleason scores and clinical subgroups of Gleason scores: 2-4 (well differentiated), 5-6 (moderately differentiated), 7 (intermediate), and 8-10 (poorly differentiated). RESULTS: Needle biopsies revealed moderately differentiated tumors (Gleason 5-6) for the 2 groups (55.3% and 60.2%). Gleason scores of the needle biopsies were identical to that of the prostatectomy specimen in 116 (56.31%) and 76 cases (40.86%) for each group (kappa: 0.432 and 0.216 for each group, respectively). Gleason score of the needle biopsy differed by 1 grade in 56 (27.18%) and 84 cases (45.16%), and by > or =2 units in 34 (16.50%) and 26 cases (15.05%) for each group, respectively. Of the specimens, 34% were undergraded, and 10% were overgraded in group 1. These rates were 38% and 22% in group 2, respectively. A total of 70% in group 1 and 56% in group 2 remained in the same categorical group, 28% and 32% of the specimens were undergraded, and 4% and 12% were overgraded in groups 1 and 2, respectively. In group 1, the number of patients with Gleason scores of 2-4, 5-6, 7, and 8 were 9.7%, 55.3%, 21.4%, 13.6%, and 1.9%, 47.6%, 32%, 18.4%, graded by needle biopsies and radical prostatectomy specimens, respectively. However, in the sextant group, the change was the number of patients with Gleason scores of 2-4, 5-6, 7, and 8-10 was 5.4% 60.2%, 24.7%, and 9.7%, detected by needle biopsies, respectively. Radical prostatectomy specimens revealed the same Gleason categories in 4.3%, 41.9%, 38.7%, and 15.1%, respectively. There was no correlation between categorized prostate-specific antigen levels and concordance of the Gleason grade. Age and digital rectal examination results did not affect Gleason correlation. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that an extended biopsy scheme beyond its superior diagnostic capability also improves the concordance of Gleason scores of needle biopsies and radical prostatectomy specimens.     

Prognostic significance of prostate cancer originating from the transition zone

PurposeTransition zone (TZ) cancers are reported to have better biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) after radical prostatectomy (RP) than cancers from the peripheral zone (PZ). To understand the influence of tumor location, we compared bRFS for TZ and PZ cancers stratified for risk using known clinical and pathological prognostic factors.Patients and MethodsThe surgical pathology and outcomes of 494 patients were reviewed. Cancers originating from the TZ and PZ were identified from step sectioning of surgical specimens and tumor mapping. Univariate and multivariate analyses of bRFS after RP were compared.ResultsTZ cancers were present in 89 (18%) patients. On univariate analysis, most factors predicted bRFS, although cancer location did not: 5-year bRFS was 85% for TZ vs. 77% for PZ (P = 0.12). However, on multivariate analysis, all factors except SV involvement were significant, including TZ cancer location (P = 0.04, HR = 1.88 [1.02–3.47]). Interestingly, TZ location was correlated with improved 5-year bRFS for cancers > 2 cc (81% for TZ vs. 65% for PZ, P = 0.017), for preop PSA >10 (80% for TZ vs. 59% for PZ, P = 0.027), and for PSAV > 2 (85% for TZ vs. 66% for PZ, P = 0.08). However, TZ cancers showed no difference in outcome for small volumes, low preop PSA, low PSAV, or high Gleason grade.ConclusionsTZ cancers that are large, with high preop PSA, low Gleason scores, and high PSAV show better outcomes than their PZ counterparts. However, high-grade cancer tumor location had no apparent influence on outcome. Tumor location could be considered in subsets for optimal prognostication.     

Biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy: a comparison between prostate cancers located in different anatomical zones

BACKGROUND: To assess whether differences of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy exist between prostate cancers located in the transition zone (TZ) and peripheral zone (PZ). METHODS: The 5-year biochemical recurrence rate of 307 patients was evaluated. A serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level > or =0.1 ng/ml was defined as biochemical failure. Cancers were characterized by the location of the largest tumor area as TZ or PZ cancers. Pure PZ cancers were matched to TZ cancers by comparable pathological tumor stage, Gleason score, and surgical margin status. RESULTS: In 63 (20.5%) patients the largest tumor area was located in the TZ. A Kaplan-Meier analysis of the matched pairs calculated an 80% actuarial cure rate of TZ cancers compared to 89% of pure PZ cancers (log-rank test P = 0.742). CONCLUSIONS: TZ and pure PZ cancers matched by comparable pathological tumor stage, Gleason score, and surgical margin status showed no statistical difference in regard to biochemical cure following radical prostatectomy.     

Is transition zone biopsy valuable in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients with serum prostate-specific antigen >10 ng/ml and prior negative peripheral zone biopsy?

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the importance of transition zone (TZ) biopsy in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) >10 ng/ml and prior negative peripheral zone (PZ) biopsy and to estimate the sensitivity of TZ biopsy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 273 BPH patients with PSA >10 ng/ml and prior negative PZ biopsy underwent an extended biopsy protocol. In patients with a TZ volume <25 cm(3), four TZ biopsies were taken (two cores per side from the apex and base). In patients with a TZ volume > or =25 cm(3) (n=183), six TZ biopsies were taken (three cores per side from the apex, middle and base). Overall, 215 patients were subjected to either transurethral resection of the prostate (n=162) or open enucleation of the adenoma (n=53). RESULTS: The extended biopsy revealed prostate cancers in 21.2% of cases (58/273). The zonal distribution of the positive cores was as follow: PZ cancers only in 67.2% of cases (39/58), TZ cancers only in 13.8% (8/58) and PZ+TZ cancers in 19% (11/58). Overall, 73.6% (14/19) and 36.8% (7/19) of TZ cancers were detected at the apex and middle of the TZ, respectively, while no TZ cancers at all were detected at the base (p=0.00015). The incidence of carcinoma on definitive pathology was 5.6% (12/215). Consequently, TZ biopsy detected only 61.3% (19/31) of TZ cancers. The incidence of pure TZ cancers was 7.3%. On the chi(2) test, patient age, serum PSA, transrectal ultrasonography findings and PSA density did not correlate significantly with the detection rate of TZ cancer. Prostate volume (p=0.023), TZ volume (p=0.027) and PSA/TZ density (p=0.007) were predictive of TZ cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Although TZ biopsy was the sole site of cancer in only 2.9% of cases (8/273), it improved the cancer detection rate by 14% in this selected group of patients. The majority (74%) of TZ cancers were detected at the apex site. TZ biopsy has a low sensitivity (61%).     

Anterior-predominant prostatic tumors: zone of origin and pathologic outcomes at radical prostatectomy

Aggressive screening and prostate needle biopsy protocols have been successful in early detection of low-volume posterior tumors. Consequently, we have observed an increased incidence of anterior-predominant prostate cancers. However, the zones of origin, patterns of spread, and patterns of extraprostatic extension of this group of tumors have not been well studied. Of 1312 radical prostatectomies performed at our institution over a span of 4.5 years, 197 had predominant (largest) tumors anterior to the urethra in whole-mounted radical prostatectomy specimens. Detailed histopathologic analysis of this cohort was undertaken emphasizing the variability in anterior prostatic anatomy from apex through base to determine zone of origin and pathologic staging. Using this approach, 97/197 (49.2%) anterior-predominant tumors (ATs) were assigned to the anterior peripheral zone (APZ), 70 (35.5%) to the transition zone (TZ), 16 (8.1%) were of indeterminate zone, and 14 (7.1%) were of both zones. Comparing APZ and TZ tumors, there were no significant differences in Gleason scores, incidence of extraprostatic extension, overall surgical margin positivity rate, or laterality. Involvement of the anterior fibromuscular stroma was significantly more likely in tumors of TZ origin (P< or =0.01), yet was observed in 50.5% of APZ tumors. Conversely, APZ tumors were more commonly localized within the apical one third of the prostate. Most of the prostates (91.4%) also showed additional PZ tumors, which were occasionally stage determining (7/197; 3.9%). In conclusion, ATs of APZ origin are more prevalent than those arising from the TZ. Contrary to previous reports comparing TZ tumors to all PZ tumors, ATs of both zones exhibit similar grading and staging parameters in this series. Given these similarities, long-term clinical outcomes and future molecular analyses will be necessary to assess whether true differences in biology and behavior exist between tumors of TZ and APZ origin.     

Increased detection of clinically significant prostate cancer by additional sampling from the anterior lateral horns of the peripheral zone in combination with the standard sextant biopsy

BACKGROUND: The objective of the present study was to investigate whether obtaining an increased number of biopsy cores by sampling additional areas, along with the standard sextant biopsy, results in a higher rate of detection of potentially insignificant prostate cancer. METHODS: We included 130 patients who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy at our institution between January 1999 and June 2003 after being diagnosed as having prostate cancer based on systematic prostate biopsies that included the areas examined by standard sextant biopsies and the bilateral anterior lateral horns (ALHs) of the peripheral zone (PZ). Several clinicopathological factors were analyzed, focusing on the significance of additional sampling from ALHs in relation to the incidence of potentially insignificant cancer, which was defined as organ confined disease with tumor volume less than 0.5 cc and Gleason scores <7. RESULTS: According to the location of positive biopsy results, these 130 patients were divided into three groups as follows: 61 patients (46.9%) with cancer detected from the cores taken by standard sextant biopsy only (group A), 15 (11.6%) from ALHs of the PZ only (group B), and 54 (41.5%) from both sites (group C). There were no significant differences in age, incidence of abnormal digital rectal examination, prostate volume, or biopsy Gleason score among these three groups; however, pretreatment serum PSA value in group C was significantly higher than that in groups A or B. Pathological examinations of radical prostatectomy specimens demonstrated that there were no significant differences in the incidence of lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion and perineural invasion, or Gleason score among the three groups; however, group C had a significantly larger tumor volume than groups A or B. Furthermore, insignificant tumor was detected in eight patients in group A (13.1%), two in group B (13.3%), and four in group C (7.4%). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the additional sampling of biopsy cores from ALHs does not appear to increase the detection of potentially insignificant cancer, and that biological tumor characteristics seem to be similar irrespective of cancer location on the needle biopsy.