ABSTRACT
Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) is the modality of choice for initial diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa), including biopsy-naïve patients. Nevertheless, clinicians must be aware of the possibility that up to one-fourth of clinically significant cancers might be missed by the modality. Acknowledgment of this occurrence and the increased availability of 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT in clinical routine, open the door to new, fascinating, indications for this functional modality in the context of PCa detection. With the case herein illustrated, we report a paradigmatic example of mismatch findings between PET/CT and mpMRI better elucidating the potential indication.
ABSTRACT
There are gender differences in susceptibility and vulnerability to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The S protein of coronaviruses facilitates viral entry into target cells and employs the host cellular serine protease TMPRSS2 for S protein priming. The TMPRSS2 gene expression is responsive to androgen stimulation and it could partially explain gender differences. We tested the hypothesis that men who received 5-Alpha reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) or androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer could have a different susceptibility to COVID-19. We carried out an observational study on patients who were referred to our COVID-19 regional centre in Lombardy from 1 to 31st March 2020. Data from 421 patients, 137 women (32.54%) and 284 men (67.44%) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, were included in this report. Overall 84 patients died: 28 women (33.33%) and 56 men (66.67%). Among men, 12 patients (4.22%) reported assuming 5ARI treatment, and 6 were under ADT. Over 12 patients under 5ARIs, 3 (25%) died; 2 deaths (33%) were reported in patients under ADT. Our findings showed that only 4.22% of the overall population received 5ARI anti-androgen therapy, a percentage, which revealed to be significantly lower (P<0.0001) than what observed in Italian men aged more than 40 years (14.97%).
ABSTRACT
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is recognized as an organ-specific marker with low specificity and sensitivity in discriminating prostate cancer (PCa) from other benign conditions, such as prostatic hyperplasia or chronic prostatitis. Thus, in the case of clinical suspicion, a PCa diagnosis cannot be made without a prostate biopsy. [-2]proPSA (p2PSA), a precursor of PSA, has been investigated as a new marker to accurately detect PCa. The aim of this systematic review was to discuss the available literature regarding the clinical validity and utility of p2PSA and its derivatives, p2PSA/fPSA (%p2PSA) and the Prostate Health Index (PHI). A systematic search of the PubMed and Scopus electronic databases was performed in accordance with the PRISMA statement (http://www.prisma-statement.org), considering the time period from January 1990 to January 2014 and using the following search terms: proprostate specific antigen, proenzyme PSA, proPSA, [-2]proPSA, p2PSA, Prostate Health Index, and PHI. To date, 115 studies have been published, but only 35 were considered for the qualitative analysis. These studies suggested that p2PSA is the most cancer-specific form of PSA, being preferentially expressed in PCa tissue and being significantly elevated in the serum of men with PCa. It is now evident that p2PSA, %p2PSA, and PHI measurements improve the specificity of the available tests (PSA and derivatives) in detecting PCa. Moreover, increasing PHI values seem to correlate with more aggressive disease. Some studies have compared p2PSA and its derivatives with other new biomarkers and found p2PSA to be significantly more accurate. Indeed, the implementation of these tests in clinical practice has the potential to significantly increase the physician's ability to detect PCa and avoid unnecessary biopsies, while also having an effective impact on costs. Further studies in large, multicenter, prospective trials are required to confirm these encouraging results on the clinical utility of these new biomarkers.
