[Percentage of positive biopsy cores at the onset of hormone therapy for prostate cancer: prognostic significance].
BACKGROUND
We hypothesized that it would predict time to hormonal independence and survival in prostate cancer patients treated by androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).


METHODS
We used clinical data from 403 men treated with ADT between 1980 and 1999 and focused on a subgroup of 220 patients treated with GnRH analogue. Percentage PBC was defined as the number of positive biopsy cores multiplied by 100 and divided by the total number of biopsy cores.


RESULTS
Median percentage PBC was 83.3% (16.7-100%). Mean follow-up was 57.4 months. Survival at 5 years in men with 83.3% PBC or less was 62.3, 89.1 and 82.6% for recurrence-free, specific and overall survival respectively, significantly better than that of men with a percentage PBC of more than 83.3% (32.2, 74.7 and 67.7%, respectively; p<0.004). Among the factors available in the pretreatment setting, namely age, clinical stage, PSA, Gleason score, bone scan and percentage PBC, the latter was independently associated with survival in multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Percentage PBC may improve the ability to predict time to hormonal resistance and survival in patients treated with ADT for prostate cancer. This finding warrants further investigation.
Normand
G
G
Service d'urologie, CHU La Milétrie, 2, rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers cedex, France.
Celhay
O
O
Briffaux
R
R
Pirès
C
C
Doré
B
B
Irani
J
J
D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone