Incidence of occult lymph node metastases in pathological stage C (pT3N0) prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of occult lymph node metastases in patients with stage pT3N0 prostate cancer.


METHODS
Lymph nodes from 95 patients with stage pT3N0 prostate cancer were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for extrinsic epithelial cells using epithelial-specific monoclonal antibodies. The extrinsic epithelial cells were also tested for prostate specific antigen expression.


RESULTS
Occult lymph node metastases were identified in 15 cases (16%) and were more frequent in patients with high primary Gleason grade tumors and seminal vesicle invasion (p = 0.03). In all cases the extrinsic cells were of prostate origin based on prostate specific antigen expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Occult lymph node metastases can be detected in a substantial proportion of patients with stage pT3N0 prostate cancer, are associated with known predictors of disease progression, and may be useful in identifying patients at risk for recurrence and progression.
Freeman
J A
JA
Department of Urology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA.
Esrig
D
D
Grossfeld
G D
GD
Stein
J P
JP
Chen
S C
SC
Young
L L
LL
Taylor
C R
CR
Skinner
D G
DG
Lieskovsky
G
G
Cote
R J
RJ
D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*