title: A modified point count method as a practical approach to assess the tumor volume and the percent gland involvement by prostate carcinoma.
abstract: This study reports a modified point-count method for quantifying the extent of carcinoma in prostatectomy specimens (n=143), as adapted from Billis et al. (2003) [3]. The prostates were studied as follows: the basal/apical margins were sampled using the cone method. The remainder of the gland was divided into 12 quadrant-shaped regions that were sampled using two slices. Eight equidistant points were marked directly on the coverslip over each fragment. The points inside the tumoral areas were counted and expressed as both the percentage of prostate gland involvement by carcinoma (PGI) and the tumor volume (TV). A significant correlation between the preoperative PSA levels and each of the three quantitative estimations were observed, with improved correlations with the PGI and TV values obtained using the point-count method (viz. number of slices involved (NSI) (r=0.32), PGI (r=0.39) and TV (r=0.44)). With the data sets stratified into three categories, all three methods correlated with multiple parameters, including Gleason scores ≥7, primary Gleason scores ≥4, perineural/angiolymphatic invasion, extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion and positive margins. All three quantitative methods were associated with morphologic features of tumor progression. The results obtained using this modified point-count method correlate more strongly with preoperative PSA levels.
authors.affiliation: IMAGEPAT Laboratory of Pathology, Rua Lucaia, n° 209, Salvador, Brazil; Department of Pathology, Largo do Terreiro de Jesus s/n, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Fontes
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Athanazio
authors.affiliation: IMAGEPAT Laboratory of Pathology, Rua Lucaia, n° 209, Salvador, Brazil; Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andréia Carvalho
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.affiliation: IMAGEPAT Laboratory of Pathology, Rua Lucaia, n° 209, Salvador, Brazil; Department of Pathology, Largo do Terreiro de Jesus s/n, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil; Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Antonio Rodrigues
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: de Freitas
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Largo do Terreiro de Jesus s/n, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil; Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador, Brazil. Electronic address: daa@ufba.br.
authors.forename: Daniel Abensur
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Athanazio
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000175:diagnosis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Pathology; Prostate-specific antigen; Prostatic neoplasms; Tumor burden