Gleason grade remains an important prognostic predictor in men diagnosed with prostate cancer while on finasteride therapy Journal Article


Authors: Carver, B. S.; Kattan, M. W.; Scardino, P. T.; Eastham, J. A.
Article Title: Gleason grade remains an important prognostic predictor in men diagnosed with prostate cancer while on finasteride therapy
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate men treated with finasteride for lower urinary tract symptoms, who subsequently were diagnosed with prostate cancer and had a radical prostatectomy (RP) at our institution, to determine if finasteride therapy prevented accurate Gleason grade assignment and prediction of biochemical recurrence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between May 1996 and July 2003, 45 men were identified who had RP and had previously been treated with finasteride for ≥6 months before the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Clinical and pathological information was gathered from a RP database. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, duration of finasteride therapy, biopsy Gleason grade, clinical stage, RP Gleason grade and pathological stage were reviewed. Freedom from recurrence was predicted using validated nomograms before and after RP, and compared against actuarial 5-year freedom from recurrence using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The mean duration of finasteride therapy before diagnosis was 23.6 months, the mean serum PSA (doubled to account for finasteride use) 11.02 ng/mL and mean biopsy Gleason score 6. When comparing the biopsy and RP specimen Gleason score, it was downgraded by 1 point in six men, upgraded by 1 point in eight, and upgraded by 2 points in one. The Gleason score was constant in 30 patients. The nomograms predicted freedom from recurrence in 83% and 85%, respectively; the 5-year actuarial freedom from recurrence was 86%. CONCLUSION: Finasteride does not appear to compromise the assignment of Gleason grade for use in prediction tools before or after RP in men undergoing prostate biopsy or RP. The actuarial 5-year freedom from recurrence was similar to that predicted by the validated nomograms. Gleason grade remains an important prognostic predictor in men treated with finasteride and undergoing RP for clinically localized prostate cancer. © 2005 BJU INTERNATIONAL.
Keywords: cancer survival; human tissue; survival rate; major clinical study; review; cancer recurrence; cancer staging; follow up; follow-up studies; neoplasm staging; prostate specific antigen; prostate cancer; gleason score; prostate-specific antigen; prostatic neoplasms; prostate; enzyme inhibitors; prostatectomy; nomograms; prostate biopsy; finasteride; gleason grade; kaplan meier method; urination disorders
Journal Title: BJU International
Volume: 95
Issue: 4
ISSN: 1464-4096
Publisher: Wiley Blackwell  
Date Published: 2005-03-01
Start Page: 509
End Page: 512
Language: English
DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2005.05375.x
PUBMED: 15705069
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC1939940
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Cited By (since 1996): 23" - "Export Date: 24 October 2012" - "CODEN: BJINF" - "Source: Scopus"
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  1. Peter T Scardino
    671 Scardino
  2. James Eastham
    537 Eastham
  3. Brett Stewart Carver
    143 Carver
  4. Michael W Kattan
    218 Kattan