Prostate Specific Antigen and Gleason Score in Men with Prostate Cancer at a Private Diagnostic Radiology Centre in Western Jamaica

Background: Prostate cancer is the most common malignant tumour in men and the second most commoncause of male cancer death. The study examines the clinicopathological features of patients with prostate cancerconsecutively diagnosed at a private Diagnostic Radiology Centre in Western Jamaica over a 6-year period.
Method: The medical records, including the pathology reports of 423 consecutive patients who had transrectalultrasonography (TRUS) - guided prostate biopsy between January 2006 and December 2011 were reviewed.
Results: The mean age at diagnosis of the 191 men with prostate adenocarcinoma was 68.5 ± 0.59 years withthe majority in the 70 - 79 year age group (43.5%). Moderately differentiated carcinomas (Gleason score of 6)comprised the largest group with 72 cases (37.9%); poorly differentiated cancers with Gleason scores of 8 - 10comprised 49 cases (25.8%). The PSA levels increased with Gleason score. The mean PSA levels for men withGleason score of 6 was 50.1 ± 30.0 ng/mL compared with 136.5 ± 59.9 ng/mL in patients with Gleason score of 8and 140.5 ± 31.8 ng/mL in patients with Gleason score of 9. Perineural invasion was present in 7.85% of the casesoverall; high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) was present in 4.71% of the biopsies.
Conclusion:Although the majority of patients had moderate, and moderate to poor differentiated carcinomas, the numberwith poorly differentiated carcinoma was high. This is a reflection of the patients’ late clinical presentation atthe time of diagnosis.