Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 16, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancing Prostate Cancer Research Through Improved Tissue Sampling and Biobanking
Published on: November 17, 2023
Changes in extent and zonal distribution of prostatic adenocarcinoma in patients preoperatively treated with
Masaru Shin1, Hitoshi Takayama, Yuichi Tsujimoto
1Department of Pathology, Osaka University Medical School, Suita, Japan.
Background:
An increasing number of pharmacologic agents that induce reversible androgen deprivation are available for neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) for prostatic adenocarcinoma (PCA). If information about the regression pattern of PCA after NET is recognized, more effective decision-making for subsequent therapies such as prostatectomy and radiotherapy, will be possible.
Methods:
The extent and zonal distribution of PCA with or without NET were examined in totally embedded radical prostatectomy specimens obtained from 103 patients with PCA. Seventy-nine of the 103 patients received androgen deprivation therapy (castrated). The zonal location of PCA lesions (non-transition vs transition zone), was identified in three slices from the inferior, middle and superior parts of the prostate. The area of the PCA lesions in these zones was measured.
Results:
Prostatic adenocarcinoma was identified in 94 of 103 cases: 24 of 24 cases (100%) and 70 of 79 cases (87%) in the non-castrated and castrated groups, respectively. The NET induced a mean of 21% reduction of the prostate volume and lowered the serum PSA level by one eighth. The frequency of capsular penetration in the castrated cases (57%) was lower than in the non-castrated cases (83%) and confinement of the PCA lesion was found in 32% of the castrated and 17% of the non-castrated cases. The reduction rate of the extent of the PCA lesions in the non-transition and transition zone was 33% and 28%, respectively. The extent of the PCA lesions were smaller in the anterior parts, especially at the superior portion of the prostate.
Conclusion:
Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy induced involutional changes of the PCA evenly across both the non-transition and transition zones. The density of the PCA lesions was low in the anterior part of the prostate. This information is useful for decision-making in post-NET.
Insights
Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) for prostate cancer (PCA) reduces prostate volume and PSA levels. NET causes even regression of PCA lesions across prostate zones, with lower density in anterior regions, aiding treatment decisions.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Urology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Pharmacologic agents for reversible androgen deprivation are increasingly used for neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) in prostatic adenocarcinoma (PCA).
- Understanding PCA regression patterns after NET is crucial for optimizing subsequent treatments like prostatectomy and radiotherapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the extent and zonal distribution of PCA in radical prostatectomy specimens after NET.
- To evaluate the impact of NET on prostate volume, PSA levels, and lesion characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 103 radical prostatectomy specimens from PCA patients, with 79 receiving androgen deprivation therapy (castration).
- Identification and measurement of PCA lesion area within transition and non-transition zones in three prostate slices (inferior, middle, superior).
Main Results:
- NET reduced prostate volume by 21% and serum PSA by one-eighth.
- Capsular penetration was lower (57% vs. 83%) and PCA lesion confinement higher (32% vs. 17%) in castrated vs. non-castrated groups.
- PCA lesion extent reduction was 33% in the non-transition zone and 28% in the transition zone, with smaller lesions in anterior prostate regions.
Conclusions:
- Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy induces uniform involutional changes in PCA across both non-transition and transition zones.
- PCA lesion density is lower in the anterior prostate, a finding useful for post-NET treatment planning.
More Related Videos
09:48An Orthotopic Endometrial Cancer Model with Retroperitoneal Lymphadenopathy Made From In Vivo Propagated and Cultured VX2 Cells
Published on: September 12, 2019
07:25A Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Orthotopic Syngeneic Murine Model of Androgen-dependent and Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer
Published on: March 6, 2018