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Cell proliferation and apoptosis in prostate cancer--correlation with pathologic stage?
C Brown1, J Sauvageot, H Kahane
1Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Summary
Cell proliferation and apoptosis do not predict prostate cancer stage in Gleason 6-7 tumors. However, cell proliferation can differentiate between high and low Gleason grade tumors.
Area of Science:
- Urologic Oncology
- Cancer Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- Gleason grade predicts prostate cancer stage, but predictors for intermediate grades (Gleason sum 5-7) are needed.
- Clinically organ-confined tumors often fall within the Gleason sum 5-7 range.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between cell proliferation, apoptosis, and pathological stage in prostate cancer with Gleason sum 6-7.
- To determine if these cellular processes can predict stage in clinically organ-confined tumors.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 98 radical prostatectomies with varying pathological stages.
- Quantified cell proliferation (Ki-67) and apoptosis (TUNEL technique).
- Calculated overall daily growth (kp) and used logistic regression analysis.
Main Results:
- Pathological stage did not correlate with cell proliferation, apoptosis, or overall daily growth in Gleason sum 6-7 tumors.
- These parameters did not differentiate between Gleason sum 6 and Gleason sum 7.
- Cell proliferation significantly differed between Gleason sum ≥6 and Gleason sum ≤4 tumors (P = 0.005).
Conclusions:
- Cell proliferation and apoptosis do not correlate with pathological stage in clinically organ-confined Gleason sum 6-7 prostate cancer.
- Cell proliferation can distinguish between high (Gleason sum ≥6) and low (Gleason sum ≤4) grade tumors.