Relationship between primary Gleason pattern on needle biopsy and clinicopathologic outcomes among men with Gleason score 7 adenocarcinoma of the prostate.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship among needle biopsy primary grade, prostatectomy grade, and postprostatectomy biochemical recurrence among men with Gleason score 7 disease.


METHODS
We identified 320 men with Gleason score 7 tumors on prostate biopsy treated with radical prostatectomy between 1991 and 2001 by a single surgeon. None of these patients had received neoadjuvant or adjuvant hormonal therapy or radiotherapy. The chi-square test and Kaplan-Meier method were used to evaluate the correlation among biopsy Gleason score, prostatectomy Gleason score, and biochemical recurrence.


RESULTS
A total of 252 (79%) and 68 (21%) men had primary Gleason pattern 3 and 4 identified on needle biopsy, respectively. Of the patients with Gleason pattern 3 + 4 tumors on biopsy, 24% were upgraded to primary pattern 4 or more on final pathologic analysis. Of the patients with Gleason pattern 4 + 3 tumors on biopsy, 47% were downgraded to primary pattern 3 or less on final pathologic analysis. The actuarial risk of biochemical prostate-specific antigen recurrence was significantly lower among patients with Gleason pattern 4 + 3 on biopsy, if the prostatectomy Gleason score was downgraded to 3 + 4 or less (P = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Approximately 47% of men with a diagnosis of Gleason pattern 4 + 3 on needle biopsy are downgraded at radical prostatectomy and will have biochemical prostate-specific antigen recurrence-free outcomes similar to patients originally diagnosed with Gleason pattern 3 + 4 adenocarcinoma. This group of patients may benefit from definitive treatment such as radical prostatectomy for management of their disease.
Gonzalgo
Mark L
ML
Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. mgonzal@jhmi.edu
Bastian
Patrick J
PJ
Mangold
Leslie A
LA
Trock
Bruce J
BJ
Epstein
Jonathan I
JI
Walsh
Patrick C
PC
Partin
Alan W
AW
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen