Correlation between CT perfusion and clinico-pathological features in prostate cancer: a prospective study

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Imaging
• Oncology
• Urology

Background:

• Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis relies on PSA levels, Gleason score, and pTNM stage.
• Computed tomography perfusion (PCT) offers potential for non-invasive tumor assessment.
• Correlation between PCT parameters and established PCa biomarkers needs further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the relationship between PCT-derived parameters and key prostate cancer indicators.
• To determine if PCT can effectively correlate with PSA levels, Gleason score, and pTNM stage.
• To assess the utility of PCT in the initial staging of prostate cancer.

Main Methods:

• Prospective enrollment of 125 localized prostate cancer patients.
• Performance of PCT followed by core biopsy and radical prostatectomy.
• Calculation of blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT), and permeability-surface (PS) area product in tumor and normal tissue.

Main Results:

• PCT identified PCa in 95.2% of patients.
• Significant correlations were observed between BV, BF, PS values and PSA levels (p<0.05).
• Perfusion parameters showed correlations with Gleason score and pTNM stage (p<0.04).

Conclusions:

• PCT parameters demonstrate significant correlation with PSA levels, Gleason score, and pTNM stage in prostate cancer.
• PCT shows promise as a tool for initial tumor staging in low- and intermediate-risk PCa patients.
• Further research can explore PCT's role in refining treatment strategies.