Impact of Pathology Review for Decision Therapy in Localized Prostate Cancer

The role of PSMA PET/CT to predict upgrading in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for ISUP grade group 1 prostate cancer

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

To investigate the additive role of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) independent from multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and clinical-pathological parameters to predict pathological upgrading in patients with ISUP grade group (GG) 1 prostate cancer (PCa) at prostate biopsy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 41 patients who underwent robotic radical prostatectomy (RP) for GG1 disease at prostate biopsy with preoperative PSMA PET/CT and mpMRI images available for central review were included in the study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the independent predictors of pathological upgrading (GG ≥ 2).

RESULTS

Final RP pathology revealed upgrading in 26 patients (65.9%); to GG 2 disease in 25 cases and GG 4 disease in one case. International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) upgrading rates for prostate imaging-reporting and data system (PIRADS)-5, PIRADS-4, and PIRADS ≤ 3 lesions were 78%, 74%, and 38%, respectively. Fourteen out of 15 (93.3%) patients with an SUVmax ≥ 5.6 and all patients with an SUVmax ≥ 6.5 (n = 10) had pathological upgrading. The upgrading rate in patients with SUV < 5.6 was 46.2% (12/26). Intraprostatic SUVmax ≥ 5.6 was found as the only independent predictor of pathological upgrading in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

High prostatic PSMA uptake was found to be a very reliable predictor of pathological upgrading, but low PSMA uptake cannot exclude pathological upgrading. Intraprostatic PSMA uptake along with previously known mpMRI and biopsy-related parameters should be considered when making a treatment decision in patients with GG1 PCa at prostate biopsy.

Active surveillance for intermediate-risk prostate cancer

INTRODUCTION

Active surveillance (AS) is an established approach in the management of low-risk, localized prostate cancer. While the use of AS to manage intermediate-risk (IR) disease has gradually increased over time, there remains uncertainty with regards to its safety, with only a minority of IR patients currently being managed with this approach.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a narrative review based on an analysis of the literature focusing on articles describing AS for IR prostate cancer. We focus on the uncertainty surrounding AS in IR disease by discussing variations in the definitions and guideline recommendations associated with IR disease, and describing the limitations of the evidence from observational studies and randomized trials.

CONCLUSION

The safety of AS for IR disease remains unknown, given the lack of randomized trials and the limitations of the current observational studies. Further research is needed to identify select patients with IR prostate cancer that can be managed safely with AS.

Factors predicting pathological upgrading after prostatectomy in patients with Gleason grade group 1 prostate cancer based on opinion-matched biopsy specimens

The present study investigated the concordance between Gleason scores assigned to prostate biopsy specimens by outside pathologists and a urological pathology expert, and determined the risk of upgrading between opinion-matched Gleason grade group (GGG) 1 biopsy specimens and radical prostatectomy specimens. Between January 2012 and May 2018, 733 patients underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Patients whose original biopsy specimens from outside hospitals were reviewed by a urological pathology expert Okayama University Hospital were included. Patients who had received neoadjuvant hormonal therapy were excluded. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of upgrading among GGG 1 diagnoses. A total of 403 patients were included in the present study. Agreement in GGG between initial and second-opinion diagnoses was present in 256 cases (63.5%). Although opinion-matched cases improved concordance between biopsy and prostatectomy specimen GGG compared with single-opinion cases (initial, 35.2%; second-opinion, 36.5%; matched, 41.4%), 71% (56/79) of cases classified as GGG 1 were upgraded after prostatectomy. Multivariate analysis revealed that prostate-specific antigen density and Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 score were significant predictors of upgrading (odds ratio, 1.10; P=0.01; and odds ratio, 1.88; P=0.03, respectively). In conclusion, the GGG concordance rate between needle-core biopsy and radical prostatectomy specimens was higher in opinion-matched cases; however, 71% of opinion-matched GGG1 cases were upgraded after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Urologists should propose treatment strategies or further biopsy rather than active surveillance for patients with GGG1 and a high PSAD and/or PI-RADS score.

Are ENT1/ENT1, NOTCH3, and miR-21 Reliable Prognostic Biomarkers in Patients with Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Treated with Adjuvant Gemcitabine Monotherapy?

Evidence on equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1) and microRNA-21 (miR‑21) is not yet sufficiently convincing to consider them as prognostic biomarkers for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we investigated the prognostic value of ENT1/ENT1, miR-21, and neurogenic locus homolog protein 3 gene (NOTCH3) in a well-defined cohort of resected patients treated with adjuvant gemcitabine chemotherapy (n = 69). Using a combination of gene expression quantification in microdissected tissue, immunohistochemistry, and univariate/multivariate statistical analyses we did not confirm association of ENT1/ENT1 and NOTCH3 with improved disease-specific survival (DSS). Low miR-21 was associated with longer DSS in patients with negative regional lymph nodes or primary tumor at stage 1 and 2. In addition, downregulation of ENT1 was observed in PDAC of patients with high ENT1 expression in normal pancreas, whereas NOTCH3 was upregulated in PDAC of patients with low NOTCH3 levels in normal pancreas. Tumor miR‑21 was upregulated irrespective of its expression in normal pancreas. Our data confirmed that patient stratification based on expression of ENT1/ENT1 or miR‑21 is not ready to be implemented into clinical decision-making processes. We also conclude that occurrence of ENT1 and NOTCH3 deregulation in PDAC is dependent on their expression in normal pancreas.