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Gleason score concordance on biopsy‐confirmed prostate cancer: is pathological re‐evaluation necessary prior to radical prostatectomy?
Author(s) -
Truesdale Matthew D.,
Cheetham Philippa J.,
Turk Andrew T.,
Sartori Samantha,
Hruby Gregory W.,
Dinneen Eion P.,
Benson Mitchell C.,
Badani Ketan K.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
bju international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 1464-4096
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-410x.2010.09570.x
Subject(s) - prostatectomy , medicine , concordance , biopsy , grading (engineering) , prostate cancer , histopathology , radiology , prostate biopsy , prostate , prostate specific antigen , urology , cancer , pathology , civil engineering , engineering
Study Type – Diagnosis (case series) Level of Evidence 4 What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? Following the updated Gleason grading system in 2005 by the International Society of Urological Pathologists (ISUP), studies demonstrated improved prediction of biochemical (PSA) progression‐free outcome by needle core biopsy specimens. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated the impact of the modified grading system on inter‐laboratory agreement of biopsy Gleason score (bGS) and the effect of re‐evaluation on accuracy in predicting the true underlying histopathology. We report that when biopsy re‐evaluation resulted in a change in bGS, there was a marked improvement in the prediction of underlying pathology as determined by prostatectomy Gleason score suggesting that when outside referral of bGS results in an equivocal clinical decision, biopsy re‐evaluation can provide clarity on the true underlying tumour architecture. OBJECTIVES • Gleason sum from prostate biopsy (bGS) is an important tool in classifying severity of disease, ultimately influencing clinical management. • Commonly, pathology specimens are re‐evaluated internally prior to surgery. • We evaluate agreement of bGS with prostatectomy Gleason sum (pGS) and the impact of re‐grading on prediction of true underlying tumor architecture. MATERIALS AND METHODS • Retrospective analysis of men who underwent robotic‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) by two surgeons from 2005–2009. Initial transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy demonstrated carcinoma at an outside lab. Specimens were re‐evaluated by our GU pathologists prior to surgery. Biopsy data were correlated with pGS. • Kappa (κ) statistics for agreement and linear regression analyses were used for categorical variables. Coefficient of concordance was used for continuous variables. RESULTS • 100 patients had 331 positive biopsies. Agreement (κ) for bGS between outside labs and our pathologists was 0.55 (p < 0.001). • Internal read was twice as likely to upgrade vs. downgrade outside bGS (23% vs. 11%). • When re‐evaluation resulted in a change in bGS, agreement with pGS was κ= 0.29, vs. κ=−0.04 for agreement of initial (outside) bGS with pGS. • When no change was made to bGS, agreement with pGS was κ= 0.40 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION • Good reproducibility seen between outside labs and our institution on bGS. Internal pathology re‐reads correlated better with pGS than original community bGS. When re‐reads result in a change in bGS, there is a marked improvement in prediction of underlying tumor architecture confirming the value of re‐evaluating all external biopsies prior to definitive surgery.