title: Determining prostate cancer-specific death through quantification of stromogenic carcinoma area in prostatectomy specimens.
abstract: We previously reported that reactive stroma grading in prostate cancer (PCa) is predictive of biochemical recurrence in prostatectomies and biopsies. In this study, we tested whether quantifying the percentage of reactive stromal grade 3 (RSG 3; stromogenic carcinoma pattern) in the entire tumor is predictive of PCa-specific death. Whole-mount prostatectomies operated by a single surgeon obtained between 1983 and 1998 were reviewed. Reactive stroma was evaluated as described previously, and areas of RSG 3 in the entire tumor were registered as percentages of total tumor. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox analyses. In all, 872 cases were evaluable. Quantification of RSG 3 percentage was an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence, analyzed as a continuous or grouped variable. Patients with higher RSG 3 percentages (larger tumor areas with RSG 3) had a significantly decreased biochemical recurrence-free survival than those with a lower RSG 3 percentage, even within the Gleason score 7 subset of patients. A nomogram introduced this new variable to the model. Furthermore, quantification of RSG 3 percentage was significantly predictive of PCa-specific death. Quantification of the RSG 3 (stromogenic carcinoma) area in PCa provides additional novel information on prognosis. These data substantiate the concept that the tumor microenvironment holds significant predictive information, as well as biological significance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. gayala@bcm.edu
authors.forename: Gustavo E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.forename: Bahar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muezzinoglu
authors.forename: Kai H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Hammerich
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frolov
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Scardino
authors.forename: Rile
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sayeeduddin
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ittmann
authors.forename: Dov
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kadmon
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Rowley
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery