Gain in chromosome 8q correlates with early progression in hormonal treated prostate cancer

Development and especially hormone refractant progression of prostate cancer are incompletely understood. Clinical studies evaluating genetic aberrations of prior therapy biopsies in correlation with progression data in patients receiving hormone therapy for prostate cancer have not been performed until now.

After DNA isolation from histological sections of primary prostate cancer biopsies, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was performed according to standard protocols. Primary staging, clinical course and PSA levels of the patients were assessed.

CGH was performed on 28 primary prostate cancer samples. After a mean follow-up of 36 months 11 (39%) of the patients showed progression of disease under hormonal treatment. In patients without and with progression we found the following results, respectively: losses of 6q (41/36%), 8p (41/45%), 16q (23/18%), 18q (30/9%), and gains of 8q (12/64%; P < 0.0001) and 17 (47/26%).

Gain of 8q is found predominantly in primary core biopsies of local advanced or metastasized prostate cancers. It shows in univariate analysis significant correlation with progression in hormone treated prostate cancer. This fact suggests that gain in 8q represents a marker of aggressiveness in prostate cancer.