[Relation between neuroendocrine expression of prostatic carcinoma and prognosis]

To clarify the relationship between the neuroendocrine expression of prostatic carcinoma and prognosis, we studied immunohistochemically formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 30 cases of prostate cancer by means of neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation markers. The rate of NE positive-staining cases was 40% (12/30), and more than two kinds of NE markers were expressed in 9/12 cases. The NE markers were NSE (7 positive cases), Chromogranin-A (7), Calcitonin (2), Gastrin (2), hCG (4), S-100 Protein (2), Serotonin (3), EMA (23) and Lillie argentaffin staining (2). Follow-up of the 30 patients showed that NE negative tumors have a prognosis better than NE positive tumors (P < 0.005). Their poor prognosis is due to poor response to endocrine therapy, and the mechanism is that some neuropeptides secreted by NE cells affect the growth of tumor cells. Finally, how to improve the prognosis of the patients who have NE expression of their prostate cancer is discussed.