Gleason Misclassification Rate Is Independent of Number of Biopsy Cores in Systematic Biopsy

Prevalence of Bladder Cancers Incidentally Detected During Multiparametric MRI Scans of the Prostate Gland and the Clinical Significance of Scoring Them According to VI-RADS: A Pictorial Single-Centre Study

Purpose

To determine the prevalence of incidentally detected bladder cancers (BCs) on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) of the prostate and to highlight the clinical importance of scoring them according to the Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS).

Materials and Methods

VI-RADS scores for incidental bladder lesions on mpMRI of the prostate were collected in 1693 patients with elevated prostate-specific antigen but no hematuria. The study included 19 patients with 28 incidental bladder lesions.

Results

During this period, 39 incidental bladder lesions were found in 30 patients, representing 1.7% of cases. Of the 28 lesions, 11 were categorized by VI-RADS as VI-RADS 1, 14 as VI-RADS 2, 1 as VI-RADS 3, 1 as VI-RADS 4, and 1 as VI-RADS 5. Histopathological examination revealed 1 benign lesion, 24 non-muscle invasive BCs, and 3 muscle-invasive BCs in the 19 patients. Impressively, 97% of the incidental lesions detected by prostate mpMRI and categorized by VI-RADS were BCs without apparent prostate cancer invasion. Notably, 93% of these lesions were consistent with histopathological findings of muscle invasion and extravesical spread.

Conclusion

Our study concludes the prevalence 1% incidental BC in prostate mpMRI. The research underscores a thorough bladder examination during prostate MRI scans. Utilizing mpMRI assists in distinguishing varying BC stages, aiding treatment decisions, and patient outcomes. VI-RADS categorization aligns with histopathological results, enhancing diagnosis, and healthcare communication. Early detection significantly influences patient care by enabling timely interventions and suitable treatment strategies, particularly for low-stage BCs linked to reduced progression and recurrence rates.

Prostate-derived circulating microRNAs add prognostic value to prostate cancer risk calculators

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of malignancy-related deaths among American men. Active surveillance is a safe option for many men with less aggressive disease, yet definitively determining low-risk cancer is challenging with biopsy alone. Herein, we sought to identify prostate-derived microRNAs in patient sera and serum extracellular vesicles, and determine if those microRNAs improve upon the current clinical risk calculators for prostate cancer prognosis before and after biopsy. Prostate-derived intracellular and extracellular vesicle-contained microRNAs were identified by small RNA sequencing of prostate cancer patient explants and primary cells. Abundant microRNAs were included in a custom microRNA PCR panel that was queried in whole serum and serum extracellular vesicles from a diverse cohort of men diagnosed with prostate cancer. The levels of these circulating microRNAs significantly differed between indolent and aggressive disease and improved the area under the curve for pretreatment nomograms of prostate cancer disease risk. The microRNAs within the extracellular vesicles were the most informative and improved the AUC to 0.739 compared to the existing nomogram alone, which has an AUC of 0.561. The microRNAs in the whole serum improved it to AUC 0.675. In summary, quantifying microRNAs circulating in extracellular vesicles is a clinically feasible assay that may provide additional information for assessing prostate cancer risk stratification.

Diagnostic efficacy of systemic immune-inflammation biomarkers in benign prostatic hyperplasia using receiver operating characteristic and artificial neural network

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a chronic, progressive disease characterized by mesenchymal cell-predominance and stromal and glandular cell-hyperproliferation. Although, the precise cause of BPH is unknown, it is believed to be associated with hormonal changes in aging men. Despite androgens and ageing are likely to play a role in the development of BPH, the pathophysiology of BPH remains uncertain. This paper aims to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index in in diagnosing BPH. A single-center-randomized-retrospective study was carried out at Alzahraa university hospital between January 2022 and November 2022 on 80 participants (40 non-BPH subjects and 40 patients with symptomatic enlarged prostate) who visited the outpatient clinic or admitted to the urology department. The BPH cases were evaluated by digital rectal examination (DRE), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), prostate size, prostate specific antigen (PSA), TRUS biopsy in elevated PSA > 4 ng/ml, PLR, NLR and systemic immune inflammatory (SII). The diagnosing efficiency of the selected parameters was evaluated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) showing excellent discrimination with 100% accuracy and AUC = 1 in the ROC curves. Moreover, the accuracy rate of the ANN exceeds 99%. Conclusion: PLR, NLR and SII can be significantly employed for diagnosing BPH.

Prostate-derived circulating microRNAs add prognostic value to prostate cancer risk calculators

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of malignancy-related deaths among American men. Active surveillance is a safe option for many men with less aggressive disease, yet definitively determining low-risk cancer is challenging with biopsy alone. Herein, we sought to identify prostate-derived microRNAs in patient sera and serum extracellular vesicles, and determine if those microRNAs improve upon the current clinical risk calculators for prostate cancer prognosis before and after biopsy. Prostate-derived intracellular and extracellular vesicle-contained microRNAs were identified by small RNA sequencing of prostate cancer patient explants and primary cells. Abundant microRNAs were included in a custom microRNA PCR panel that was queried in whole serum and serum extracellular vesicles from a diverse cohort of men diagnosed with prostate cancer. The levels of these circulating microRNAs significantly differed between indolent and aggressive disease and improved the area under the curve for pretreatment nomograms of prostate cancer disease risk. The microRNAs within the extracellular vesicles had improved prognostic value compared to the microRNAs in the whole serum. In summary, quantifying microRNAs circulating in extracellular vesicles is a clinically feasible assay that may provide additional information for assessing prostate cancer risk stratification.

The Values of Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in the Localized Prostate Cancer and Benign Prostate Hyperplasia: A Retrospective Clinical Study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the diagnostic values of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODS

Between January 2014 and December 2019, 117 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and 278 patients with localized PCa who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) were included in this study. The inflammatory markers including SII, NLR, platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), lymphocyte ratio (LR), neutrophil ratio (NR), mean platelet volume (MPV), and red cell distribution (RDW) of these two groups were examined and analyzed. ROC curve analysis was performed to assess the discriminative ability of inflammatory markers and their combination with tPSA for PCa. The binary logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between significant inflammatory markers and risk of PCa.

RESULTS

The pathological results from RP specimen comprised 72 (25.90%) patients with pT1, 168 (60.43%) patients with pT2, and 38 (13.67%) patients with pT3. According to Student's t test, patients with PCa had higher NLR (p = 0.034), SII (p = 0.008), and NR (p = 0.004), and lower LR (p = 0.025), MPV (p = 0.003), and TPV (p = 0.022) compared with patients with BPH; the distribution of age, PLR, LMR, RDW, f/t PSA ratio, and BMI did not show any significant differences. The AUC for NLR, SII, NR, and tPSA was 0.697 (p = 0.015), 0.719 (p < 0.001), 0.647 (p = 0.009), and 0.708 (p < 0.001), with threshold values of 1.6, 471.86, 65.15%, and 12.89 ng/ml, respectively. Patients were divided into two groups according to the threshold values, respectively. By using the multivariable logistic regression models, NLR ≥ 1.6 (OR, 2.731; 95% CI, 0.937-7.961, p = 0.042), SII ≥ 471.86 (OR, 1.274; 95% CI 0.473-3.433; p = 0.033), and PSA ≥ 12.89 ng/ml (OR, 1.443; 95% CI, 0.628-3.944; p = 0.014) were independent risk factors associated with PCa. The AUC for combination of NLR, SII, and NR with tPSA was 0.705 (p < 0.001), 0.725 (p < 0.001), and 0.704 (p < 0.001), respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that SII, NLR, and NR were all independent risk factors of PCa. These factors alone could provide better screen methods for PCa before biopsy. In addition, SII is a more powerful tool among these three inflammatory markers associated with PCa. Besides, combination of SII and NLR with tPSA had not much advantage compared with themselves alone.

The Role of Multiparametric MRI and MRI-targeted Biopsy in Detecting Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer in the Community Setting: A Retrospective Study

Multiparametric MRI and the Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) have emerged as tools to reveal suspicious prostate lesions and MRI-targeted biopsy has shown potential to avoid repeat prostate biopsies and miss fewer significant cancers. This retrospective study sought to assess the differences in diagnostic yield and sampling efficiency between MRI-targeted and standard biopsies in a community urology practice. We concluded that MRI-targeted biopsy was more efficient than a standard biopsy, although neither technique achieved a superior diagnostic yield of clinically significant cancer in our community setting. We recommend that a standard biopsy be performed alongside targeted biopsy.

Targeted biopsy: benefits and limitations

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To review the current literature regarding the role of multiparametric MRI and fusion-guided biopsies in urologic practice.

RECENT FINDINGS

Fusion biopsies consistently show an increase in the detection of clinically significant cancers and decrease in low-risk disease that may be more suitable for active surveillance. Although, when to incorporate multiparametric MRI into workup is not clearly agreed upon, studies have shown a clear benefit in both biopsy naïve and those with prior negative biopsies in determining the appropriate treatment strategy. More recently, cost-analysis models have been published that show that upfront MRIs are more cost-effective when considering missed cancers and treatment courses.

SUMMARY

With improved accuracy over systematic biopsies, fusion biopsies are a superior method for detection of the true grade of cancer for both biopsy naïve and patients with prior negative biopsies, choosing appropriate candidates for active surveillance, and monitoring progression on active surveillance.

A comparison of magnetic resonance imaging techniques used to secure biopsies in prostate cancer patients

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common diagnosed malignancy among the male population in the United States. The incidence is increasing with an estimated amount of 175.000 cases in 2019. Areas covered: Primarily, PCa is generally detected by an elevated or rising serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal examination (DRE) followed by pathological examination. Histopathology ultimately confirms the presence of PCa and determines a Gleason score. However, PSA and DRE have low specificity and sensitivity, respectively. Subsequently, accurate assessment of the aggressiveness of PCa is essential to prevent overdiagnosis and thus overtreatment of low-risk or indolent cancers. By visualizing PCa suspicious lesions and sampling them during the targeted biopsy, it is likely that the diagnostic accuracy of significant PCa improves. This article reviews the current imaging techniques used to secure biopsies in patients with a suspicion of PCa. The advantages and limitations of each technique are described. Expert opinion: Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and subsequent-targeted biopsy have improved the diagnostic accuracy of PCa detection in men with an elevated or rising serum PSA. Prostate lesions visible on mpMRI are easily targeted during either in-bore MRI-guided biopsy, cognitive fusion biopsy or MRI-TRUS fusion biopsy.

Use of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and fusion-guided biopsies to properly select and follow African-American men on active surveillance

OBJECTIVES

To determine the rate of Gleason Grade Group (GGG) upgrading in African-American (AA) men with a prior diagnosis of low-grade prostate cancer (GGG 1 or GGG 2) on 12-core systematic biopsy (SB) after multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and fusion biopsy (FB); and whether AA men who continued active surveillance (AS) after mpMRI and FB fared differently than a predominantly Caucasian (non-AA) population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A database of men who had undergone mpMRI and FB was queried to determine rates of upgrading by FB amongst men deemed to be AS candidates based on SB prior to referral. After FB, Kaplan-Meier curves were generated for AA men and non-AA men who then elected AS. The time to GGG upgrading and time continuing AS were compared using the log-rank test.

RESULTS

AA men referred with GGG 1 disease on previous SB were upgraded to GGG ≥3 by FB more often than non-AA men, 22.2% vs 12.7% (P = 0.01). A total of 32 AA men and 258 non-AA men then continued AS, with a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 39.19 (24.24-56.41) months. The median time to progression was 59.7 and 60.5 months, respectively (P = 0.26). The median time continuing AS was 61.9 months and not reached, respectively (P = 0.80).

CONCLUSIONS

AA men were more likely to be upgraded from GGG 1 on SB to GGG ≥3 on initial FB; however, AA and non-AA men on AS subsequently progressed at similar rates following mpMRI and FB. A greater tendency for SB to underestimate tumour grade in AA men may explain prior studies that have shown AA men to be at higher risk of progression during AS.

Extent and predictors of grade upgrading and downgrading in an Australian cohort according to the new prostate cancer grade groupings

Object

To determine the extent and impact of upgrading and downgrading among men who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) according to new grade groupings and to identify predictors of upgrading from biopsy grade Group I and II, and downgrading to grade Group I, in a community setting.

Methods

Study participants included 2279 men with non-metastatic prostate cancer diagnosed 2006–2015 who underwent prostatectomy, from the multi-institutional South Australia Prostate Cancer Clinical Outcomes Collaborative registry. Extent of up- or down-grading was assessed by comparing biopsy and prostatectomy grade groupings. Risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) with upgrading was assessed using multivariable competing risk regression. Binomial logistic regression was used to identify pre-treatment predictors of upgrading from grade Groups I and II, and risk group reclassification among men with low risk disease.

Results

Upgrading occurred in 35% of cases, while downgrading occurred in 13% of cases. Sixty percent with grade Group I disease were upgraded following prostatectomy. Upgrading from grade Group I was associated with greater risk of BCR compared with concordant grading (Hazard ratio: 3.1, 95% confidence interval: 1.7–6.0). Older age, higher prostate-specific antigen levels (PSA), fewer biopsy cores, higher number of positive cores and more recent diagnosis predicted upgrading from grade Group I, while higher PSA and clinical stage predicted upgrading from grade Group II. No clinical risk factors for reclassification were identified.

Conclusion

Biopsy sampling errors may play an important role in upgrading from grade Group I. Improved clinical assessment of grade is needed to encourage greater uptake of active surveillance.

Incidental bladder cancers found on multiparametric MRI of the prostate gland: a single center experience

PURPOSE

In the era of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) of the prostate gland, incidental findings are occasionally discovered on imaging. We aimed to report our experience of detecting incidental bladder cancers on mpMRI of the prostate in asymptomatic patients without irritative voiding symptoms or microscopic or gross hematuria.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed on a prospectively maintained database of all men who underwent prostate mpMRI at our institution from 2012 to 2018. Patients who were found to have incidental bladder lesions were identified and baseline demographics, imaging and histopathologic data were recorded. All patients with incidental bladder lesion detection on mpMRI, not attributable to extension of prostate cancer, underwent cystoscopy in addition to a biopsy and/or transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) if warranted on cystoscopy.

RESULTS

There were 3147 prostate mpMRIs performed during this period and 25 cases (0.8%) of incidental bladder lesions were detected. These patients did not have any presenting symptoms such as gross or microscopic hematuria to prompt bladder lesion workup. The largest diameter of incidentally discovered bladder lesions ranged from 0.4 cm to 1.7 cm. Of the 25 cases of incidental bladder lesions, five were suspected to be due to prostate cancer invasion into the bladder. Only two of these five patients underwent biopsy, which confirmed prostate adenocarcinoma in both cases. Of the 20 patients without suspected prostate cancer invasion of the bladder, four had no suspicious lesions on cystoscopy to warrant a biopsy. The remaining 16 patients had bladder lesions seen on cystoscopy and underwent a biopsy and/or TURBT. Three of these patients had benign features on pathology (urachal remnant, amyloidosis and inflammation) and the remaining 13 had stage Ta urothelial carcinoma. Seven of these patients had low-grade Ta tumors and six had high-grade Ta tumors. All patients were treated with standard management of TURBT with or without intravesical BCG. There have been no reported cases of recurrence or progression in any of the patients in our cohort at the median follow-up of 26 months (interquartile range,19-40 months).

CONCLUSION

mpMRI of the prostate may yield incidental findings, such as small bladder tumors. Awareness of the possibility of incidental bladder lesions is important as 65% of lesions reported in the bladder, not attributable to extension of prostate cancer, proved to be bladder cancer. This may allow for early intervention for asymptomatic patients with undetected bladder cancer prior to disease progression.

Added Value of Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Clinical Nomograms for Predicting Adverse Pathology in Prostate Cancer

PURPOSE

We examined the additional value of preoperative prostate multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and transrectal ultrasound/multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging fusion guided targeted biopsy when performed in combination with clinical nomograms to predict adverse pathology at radical prostatectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We identified all patients who underwent 3 Tesla multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging prior to fusion biopsy and radical prostatectomy. The Partin and the MSKCC (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) preradical prostatectomy nomograms were applied to estimate the probability of organ confined disease, extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion and lymph node involvement using transrectal ultrasound guided systematic biopsy and transrectal ultrasound/multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging fusion guided targeted biopsy Gleason scores. With radical prostatectomy pathology as the gold standard we developed multivariable logistic regression models based on these nomograms before and after adding multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging to assess any additional predictive ability.

RESULTS

A total of 532 patients were included in study. When multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging findings were added to the systematic biopsy based MSKCC nomogram, the AUC increased by 0.10 for organ confined disease (p <0.001), 0.10 for extraprostatic extension (p = 0.003), 0.09 for seminal vesicle invasion (p = 0.011) and 0.06 for lymph node involvement (p = 0.120). Using Gleason scores derived from targeted biopsy compared to systematic biopsy provided an additional predictive value of organ confined disease (Δ AUC 0.07, p = 0.003) and extraprostatic extension (Δ AUC 0.07, p = 0.048) at radical prostatectomy with the MSKCC nomogram. Similar results were obtained using the Partin nomogram.

CONCLUSIONS

Magnetic resonance imaging alone or in addition to standard clinical nomograms provides significant additional predictive ability of adverse pathology at the time of radical prostatectomy. This information can be greatly beneficial to urologists for preoperative planning and for counseling patients regarding the risks of future therapy.

"Super-active surveillance": MRI ultrasound fusion biopsy and ablation for less invasive management of prostate cancer

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) of the prostate has allowed clinicians to better visualize and target suspicious lesions during biopsy. Targeted prostate biopsies give a more accurate representation of the true cancer volume and stage so that appropriate treatment or active surveillance can be selected. Advances in technology have led to the development of MRI and ultrasound fusion platforms used for targeted biopsies, monitoring cancer progression, and more recently for the application of focal therapy. Lesions visualized on mpMRI can be targeted for ablation with a variety of energy sources employed under both local and general anesthesia. Focal ablation may offer an alternative option for treating prostate cancer as compared to the well-established interventions of whole-gland radiation or prostatectomy. Focal ablation may also be an option for patients on active surveillance who wish to be even more "active" in their surveillance. In this review, we describe the advancements and development of fusion biopsies, the rationale behind focal therapy, and introduce focal ablative techniques for indolent prostate cancers ("super-active surveillance"), including cryoablation and focal laser ablation (FLA) and the subsequent MRI/biopsy surveillance.

Concordance of Gleason grading with three-dimensional ultrasound systematic biopsy and biopsy core pre-embedding

PURPOSE

To determine the value of a three-dimensional (3D) greyscale transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy system and biopsy core pre-embedding method on concordance between Gleason scores of needle biopsies and radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of prostate biopsies and subsequent RP for PCa in the Jeroen Bosch Hospital, the Netherlands, from 2007 to 2016. Two cohorts were analysed: conventional 2D TRUS-guided biopsies and RP (2007-2013, n = 266) versus 3D TRUS-guided biopsies with pre-embedding (2013-2016, n = 129). The impact of 3D TRUS-guidance with pre-embedding on Gleason score (GS) concordance between biopsy and RP was evaluated using the κ-coefficient. Predictors of biopsy GS 6 upgrading were assessed using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Gleason concordance was comparable between the two cohorts with a κ = 0.44 for the 3D cohort, compared to κ = 0.42 for the 2D cohort. 3D TRUS-guidance with pre-embedding, did not significantly affect the risk of biopsy GS 6 upgrading in univariate and multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

3D TRUS-guidance with biopsy core pre-embedding did not improve Gleason concordance. Improved detection techniques are needed for recognition of low-grade disease upgrading.

The values of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and/or prostate-specific antigen in discriminating real Gleason score ≥ 7 prostate cancer from group of biopsy-based Gleason score ≤ 6

BACKGROUND

The discrepant concordance between biopsy and radical prostatectomy (RP) specimen are well reported. To validate the clinical usefulness of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in discriminating real GS ≥ 7 PCa from biopsy-based GS ≤ 6 PCa in comparison with serum total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA) and value of their combination.

METHODS

One hundred one patients who underwent physical examinations incidentally found elevated tPSA and subsequently received biopsy with a conclusion of GS ≤ 6 and RP with an interval of 4-6 weeks after biopsy were enrolled. NLR and tPSA were obtained within 15 days prior to biopsy. Logistic regression model was applied appropriately; McNemar tests and AUC model were performed to evaluate differences among tPSA, NLR and their combination and corresponding diagnostic power respectively.

RESULTS

The pathological results from RP specimen comprised 61 patients with GS ≤ 6 and 100 patients with GS ≥ 7. Higher tPSA and NLR were significantly associated with patients with actual GS ≥ 7 (All P < 0.05) concurrently. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that tPSA (OR = 1.088, 95% C.I. = 1.029-1.151, P = 0.003) and NLR (OR = 1.807, 95% C.I. = 1.021-3.200, P = 0.042) could be independent predictors for GS groupings. Under cutoff value of 14.09 ng/ml for tPSA and 2.25 for NLR, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 60.0%, 80.3% and 67.7% for tPSA, 42%, 88.5% and 59.6% for NLR, and 71.0%, 75.4% and 72.7% for combination of tPSA and NLR (tPSA + NLR) respectively. The sensitivity of tPSA + NLR was significantly higher in comparison with tPSA (P = 0.001) and NLR (P < 0.001). Except for sensitivity, no significant difference was found between tPSA and NLR in specificity (P = 0.227) and accuracy (P = 0.132). tPSA got the largest AUC with 0.732 (p < 0.001, 95% C.I.: 0.651-0.813).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum tPSA and NLR were significantly elevated among GS ≥ 7 PCa concurrently. The combination of tPSA and NLR might have additional benefit to biopsy on discriminating real GS ≥ 7 Pca from biopsy-based GS ≤ 6 PCa. More stratification models and prospectively multicenter studies are necessary.

The Modulating Effects of Benign Prostate Enlargement Medications on Upgrading Predictors in Patients with Gleason 6 at Biopsy

BACKGROUND

Upgrading following prostate biopsy is very common in clinical practice. This study investigated whether the use of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (ARI) and alpha blockers affect known clinical predictors of Gleason score upgrading or not.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective study on 998 patients treated with robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy for clinically localized biopsy Gleason score 6 prostate cancer were studied. The logarithm of prostate specific antigen concentration, prostate size and tumor volume were compared on the basis of the medication history of 5-ARIs and alpha blockers in the cohort of biopsy Gleason 6 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia history, and patients whose prostate sizes fall in the top quartile. We compared known clinical and pathologic characteristics associated with upgrading in regression models with and without the addition of medications.

RESULTS

Alpha blockers, but not 5-ARI were associated with a bigger prostate. Upgrading was associated with older age (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.06), higher BMI (OR 1.00 CI 1.01-1.08), higher log prostate specific antigen (OR 7.32, CI 3.546-15.52), smaller prostate size (OR 0.97, CI 0.96-0.98), fewer biopsy cores (OR 0.96 CI 0.92-0.99), more positive cores (OR 1.20, CI 1.08-1.34), and higher percentage of tumor at biopsy (OR 1.02, CI 1.01-1.03). Neither of the two medication classes were a significant predictor of upgrading. Medications made minimal changes in the multivariate predictive models.

CONCLUSION

Although, alpha blockers were associate with bigger prostate size, the modulating effects of alpha blockers and 5-ARIs on common predictors of Gleason score upgrading was not significant.