Abstract

BACKGROUND
Pathologic characteristics of the prostatic adenocarcinoma in Korean patients are not clear. We studied 60 cases of radical prostatectomy specimens using mapping analysis in an effort to discover the pathologic characteristics of the Korean prostatic adenocarcinoma.
METHODS
A resected prostate was sectioned serially and embedded near-totally. Gleason score, tumor volume or size, capsular extension, involvement of lateral margin, seminal vesicle, vas, apex and base, presence of lymphatic and neural invasion, and presence of high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasm (HGPIN) were examined. DNA ploidy and proliferative index were evaluated.
RESULTS
Mean values were as follows: age, 63.6 years; serum prostate specific antigen level (sPSA), 24.0 ng/ml; tumor amount (volume, 29.1%; size, 2.4 cm); Gleason score, 7.3; aneuploidy, 23.3%; proliferative index, 14.2%. Involvement rates of apex, base, seminal vesicle, resection margin, nerve and lymphatics were 5.2%, 39.0%, 23.7%, 31.7%, 56.7% and 16.7%, respectively. Rates of multifocal tumors and HGPIN were 43.3% and 63.3%, respectively. The Gleason score was correlated with tumor amount (volume%, p<0.001; size, p<0.01) and tumor extent (T) (p<0.005). Tumor amount was correlated with sPSA (p<0.05) and T (p<0.005). T was correlated with sPSA (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Korean prostatic adenocarcinomas showed higher Gleason scores, lower HGPIN rates and multifocalities in comparison to western prostatic adenocarcinomas, suggestive of the Korean prostatic adenocarcinomas' late detection.

• Keywords: Prostate;Neoplasm;Pathology;Korean;