Radiological Presentations of Prostatic Carcinoma Patients: A Retrospective Observational Study From a Tertiary Care...

Introduction Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. Accurate staging is necessary for optimal planning before treatment. Radiological imaging has a significant role in the evaluation of tumor detection, lymph node involvement, and distant metastasis. Despite the advancements in diagnostic radiological imaging, there is still insufficient local data addressing the radiological spectrum of prostate cancer presentations and their link to clinical and pathological factors. Methodology A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was performed at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan. The study included histopathologically confirmed prostate cancer cases presenting between January 2015 and December 2019. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were reviewed. TNM staging, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and Gleason scores were recorded. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26 (IBM Inc., Armonk, New York), utilizing univariate and multivariate regression to determine the associations between demographic and clinical variables with metastasis and lymph node involvement. Results Only 203 patients were included, with a mean age of 65.13 ± 6.84 years. The majority of the participants were >65 years old (117; 57.6%), PSA level of 4-10 ng/ml (258; 77.8%), and Gleason score of 8-10 (121; 59.6%). The most common radiological stage was T3b (104; 51.2%). Metastasis and lymph node involvement were present in 120 (59.1%) and 87 (42.9%), respectively. Bones (97; 47.8%) were the predominant site of primary metastasis. PSA level 10ng/ml and high Gleason score had a significant association with metastasis.  Conclusion Most patients presented with advanced-stage prostate cancer, lymph node involvement, and metastases. Elevated PSA levels and high Gleason scores were significantly associated with the presence of metastasis. These findings highlight the necessity for earlier detection through enhanced awareness and screening of prostate cancer.