Discrepancies in Gleason scoring of prostate biopsies and radical prostatectomy specimens and the effects of multiple needle biopsies on scoring accuracy. A regional experience in Tamworth, Australia

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to review the discrepancies in Gleason scores (GS) of prostate biopsies and radical prostatectomy specimens and the effects of multiple-needle biopsies on scoring accuracy. METHODS: One hundred patients who had undergone consecutive radical prostatectomies (RP) between January 2004 and May 2006 were reviewed retrospectively. Patient information including age, prebiopsy prostate-specific antigen levels, biopsy GS, RP GS and pathology details were recorded and compared. RESULTS: The concordance rate of biopsy GS and RP GS was found to be at 43%, with 46% of biopsy specimens being undergraded. Eleven per cent of the specimens were overgraded. The accuracy was fairly similar when specimens were reported by the same or different pathologists, at 42 and 44%, respectively. The accuracy of biopsy GS improved with increasing number of biopsies taken. CONCLUSION: There are significant discrepancies in Gleason scoring of biopsy and RP specimens, with a concordance rate of 43% and undergrading rate of 46%. Increasing the number of biopsies helps improve scoring accuracy. Clinicians and patients need to be mindful when deciding cancer treatment options, in view of these discrepancies.