Two-dimensional neovascular complexity is significantly higher in nontumor prostate tissue than in low-risk prostate cancer.
10.4111/kju.2015.56.6.435
- Author:
Gianluigi TAVERNA
1
;
Fabio GRIZZI
;
Piergiuseppe COLOMBO
;
Mauro SEVESO
;
Guido GIUSTI
;
Silvia PROIETTI
;
Girolamo FIORINI
;
Giovanni LUGHEZZANI
;
Paolo CASALE
;
Nicolo BUFFI
;
Massimo LAZZARI
;
Giorgio GUAZZONI
Author Information
1. Department of Urology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy. gianluigi.taverna@humanitas.it
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Biological markers;
Blood vessels;
Neoplasms;
Prostate
- MeSH:
Adult;
Aged;
Biopsy, Needle;
Fractals;
Humans;
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods;
Kallikreins/blood;
Male;
Middle Aged;
Neoplasm Grading;
Neoplasm Staging;
Neovascularization, Pathologic/*pathology;
Prostate/*blood supply;
Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood;
Prostatectomy;
Prostatic Neoplasms/*blood supply/pathology/surgery;
Retrospective Studies
- From:Korean Journal of Urology
2015;56(6):435-442
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: Prostate cancer is the most frequent cancer in men in Europe. A major focus in urology is the identification of new biomarkers with improved accuracy in patients with low-risk prostate cancer. Here, we evaluated two-dimensional neovascular complexity in prostate tumor and nontumor biopsy cores by use of a computer-aided image analysis system and assessed the correlations between the results and selected clinical and pathological parameters of prostate carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 280 prostate biopsy sections from a homogeneous series of 70 patients with low-risk prostate cancer (Gleason score 3+3, prostate-specific antigen [PSA]<10 ng/mL, and clinical stage T1c) who underwent systematic biopsy sampling and subsequent radical prostatectomy were analyzed. For each biopsy, 2-microm sections were treated with CD34 antibodies and were digitized by using an image analysis system that automatically estimates the surface fractal dimension. RESULTS: Our results showed that biopsy sections without cancer were significantly more vascularized than were tumors. No correlations were found between the vascular surface fractal dimension and patient's age, PSA and free-to-total PSA ratios, pathological stage, Gleason score, tumor volume, vascular invasion, capsular penetration, surgical margins, and biochemical recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The value of angiogenesis in prostate cancer is still controversial. Our findings suggest that low-risk prostate cancer tissues are less vascularized than are nontumor tissues. Further studies are necessary to understand whether angiogenesis is a hallmark of intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer.
