The prognostic role of preoperative chromogranin A expression in prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to analyze the prognostic role of preoperative chromogranin A CgA) as a marker of poor prognosis and recurrence after radical prostatectomy (RP) and to find a correlation with the other well known prognostic variables.


METHODS
This study comprises 306 patients with prostate cancer prospectively recruited who underwent RP from between 2000 and 2005. A blood sample for the determination of serum preoperative CgA value was obtained in all cases. Spearman correlation test was used to compare CgA to other variables, Kruskal-Wallis test to analyze CgA differences among > or = 3 groups (PSA, GS, Stage), Mann-Whitney test for 2 grouping variables. Survival analysis was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test to estimate differences among the analyzed variables.


RESULTS
Median CgA level was 68 ng/ml. Correlation between age and CgA levels was positive and statistically significant (p < 0.001). Patient were divided in 2 groups based on median age.The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.002). Comparison of CgA among patients grouped according to other variables and patient stratified on normal (123 ng/ml) and cut-off value (68 ng/ml) of CgA did not achieve significant risk stratification.


CONCLUSIONS
Studies on a possible prognostic role of CgA have provided conflicting results. In our series we found a significant positive correlation between CgA and age, but no significant statistical correlation with other available variables analyzed.
Department of Urology, University of Florence, Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy. lorenzo.masieri@unifi.it
Lorenzo
L
Masieri
Michele
M
Lanciotti
Paolo
P
Gontero
Giansilvio
G
Marchioro
Annalisa
A
Mantella
Stefano
S
Zaramella
Andrea
A
Minervini
Alberto
A
Lapini
Marco
M
Carini
Sergio
S
Serni
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000097:blood*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053379:Chromogranin A