Is tumor vascularity in prostate core biopsies a predictor of PSA recurrence after radical prostatectomy?

The purposes of this study were to evaluate if tumour vascularity by Chalkley counting (TVC) in prostate core biopsies can be a predictor of PSA recurrence after radical prostatectomy in prostate cancer and to estimate the concordance between the TVC in core biopsies and the subsequently examined prostatectomy specimen. All patients, with Gleason score < or =7 in core biopsy, clinical stage T1 or T2 who had a radical prostatectomy during 1990-1997 at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, were selected as a primary group. Patients with neoadjuvant hormonal therapy were excluded. The patients were divided into two groups, one with PSA recurrence and one group without PSA recurrence. 25 patients had PSA recurrence during the follow up period and 25 patients from non-recurrence group were randomly selected. TVC was assessed from the prostate tissue by immunostaining against CD34. TVC was statistically significant predictor of PSA relapse. The PSA-free survival rate was only 17% in patients within the highest TVC quartile compared to 67% in patients within the lowest TVC quartile.