title: Location of a positive biopsy as a predictor of surgical margin status and extraprostatic disease in radical prostatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the location of preoperative biopsy positive cores can identify patients at higher risk of a positive surgical margin (SM) and extraprostatic extension (EPE) at radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and pathological data of 371 patients who had a RRP for biopsy confirmed prostate cancer between January 2000 and October 2003.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A positive biopsy at the apex was not predictive of a positive apical SM or EPE. However, a positive biopsy at the base was predictive of a positive basal SM and EPE. A positive SM, in turn, correlated with EPE on final pathology. Positive basal SM correlated with EPE in 75% of cases whereas positive apical SM showed EPE in only 33% (P < 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A positive biopsy core at the base appears to correlate with a positive basal SM and EPE. A positive basal SM correlates with EPE at a higher rate than apical SMs.
authors.affiliation: Surgery, Division of Urology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Naji J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Touma
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bella
authors.forename: Alp
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sener
authors.forename: Jonathan I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Izawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen