Race and cause specific survival with prostate cancer: influence of clinical stage, Gleason score, age and treatment.

PURPOSE: We assess the influence of race on stage stratified cause specific survival of men with prostate cancer, and Gleason score, age at diagnosis and treatment on potential racial differences in survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 524 black and 396 white men were diagnosed with prostate cancer at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center between January 1982 and December 1992. Clinical stage was determined by retrospective review of the medical records and Gleason score of biopsy material as assigned by a single uropathologist. Of 611 patients who died the cause of death was determined by retrospective or prospective review of hospital records in 493 and by review of the death certificates in 102. In 16 cases the cause of death was indeterminate. Median potential followup was 112 months (range 60 to 182) and median period of observation was 61 months (range 1 to 182). RESULTS: Cause specific survival with stage T1b-2 cancer was lower in 231 black than in 264 white men of all ages (p = 0.02) and lower in 110 black than in 170 white men younger than in 70 years at diagnosis (p = 0.04). Gleason 7 to 10 cancer, which was associated with a less favorable cause specific survival compared to Gleason 2 to 6 cancer (p <0.0001), was more common in black than in white men with stage T1b-2 cancer of all ages (p = 0.01) and younger than 70 years at diagnosis (p = 0.04). No or unknown treatment status, which was associated with a less favorable cause specific survival compared to treatment (p = 0.05), was more common in black than in white men with stage T1b-2 cancer of all ages (p = 0.0005) but not significantly different when stratified by age. In men of all ages racial differences in cause specific survival were not significant when adjusted for age and Gleason score (p = 0.14) or age, Gleason score and treatment status (p = 0.17). In men younger than 70 years racial differences in cause specific survival were not significant when adjusted for age and Gleason score (p = 0.22). There were no significant racial differences in overall or age stratified all cause survival of men with stage T1b-2 cancer. There were no significant differences in overall or age stratified cause specific or all cause survival of 112 black and 58 white men with stage T3-4 cancer, or 181 and 74, respectively, with metastatic cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that local stage prostate cancer is more lethal in black than in white men and the difference is most pronounced in men younger than 70 years. The survival disadvantage of black men with local stage cancer is due in part to a propensity for development of less differentiated and more aggressive malignancies.

Percent free prostate specific antigen and cancer detection in black and white men with total prostate specific antigen 2.5 to 9.9 ng./ml.

PURPOSE: The ratio of free-to-total prostate specific antigen (PSA), or percent free PSA, is a useful adjunct to total PSA for estimating the risk of prostate cancer when total PSA is 2.5 to 9.9 ng./ml. Relationships between cancer detection and total PSA are influenced by race but to our knowledge relationships between cancer detection and percent free PSA have not been studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 222 black and 298 white consecutive and evaluable men with total PSA 2.5 to 9.9 ng./ml. underwent prostate biopsy for suspected cancer at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Clinical measurements included digital rectal examination, total and free serum PSA, prostate volume, PSA density and Gleason score of malignant biopsy specimens. RESULTS: Median percent free PSA was 14.1 (range 3.6 to 49.2) in 201 men with prostate cancer and 21.9 (range 5.7 to 83.3) in 319 without detectable cancer (p <0.0001). Significant racial differences in demographic characteristics and clinical measurements were limited to total PSA, which was higher in black men (p = 0.03). Cancer was detected in 156 black (47%) and 206 white (33%) men (p = 0.001). Areas under receiver operating characteristics curves for percent free PSA and total PSA were 0.66 and 0.58, respectively, for black men (p = 0.15), and 0.76 and 0.58, respectively, for white men (p <0.00001). Percent free PSA was 35.2 in black men and 29.2 in white men, and specificity was 9.1% and 28.7%, respectively, when sensitivity for percent free PSA was set at 95%. Of 156 black and 206 white men with percent free PSA less than 25, 83 (53%) and 85 (41%), respectively, had detectable cancer (p = 0.03). Of 66 black and 92 white men with percent free PSA 25 or greater 21 (32%) and 12 (13%), respectively, had detectable cancer (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates racial differences in relationships between percent free PSA and cancer detection in men with suspected prostatic carcinoma and total PSA 2.5 to 9.9 ng./ml. Clinical application of the commonly used percent free PSA cutoff of less than 25 to determine the advisability of prostate biopsy may lead to under diagnosis of early stage prostate cancer in black men, who are at greater risk of morbidity and mortality from disease than white men.

Relationships between prostate-specific antigen and prostate volume in black and white men with benign prostate biopsies.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the higher age-adjusted serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in black compared with white men with no clinical evidence of prostate cancer reflect racial differences in relationships between PSA and prostate volume. METHODS: The age, PSA, findings on digital rectal examination (DRE), prostate volume, and PSA density were assessed prospectively in 810 consecutive, evaluable men who underwent prostate biopsy for suspected cancer but who had benign histologic findings. RESULTS: Among the black and white patients, there were significant differences in age (mean 67.2 +/- 8.1 and 65.9 +/- 7.7 years, respectively, P = 0.02), PSA (median 4.7 and 3.9 ng/mL, respectively, P <0.0001), prostate volume (median 41 and 36 mL, respectively, P = 0.004), and PSA density (median 0.11 and 0.08 ng/mL/mL, respectively, P = 0.005). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that black race was significantly associated with increased prostate volume when controlled for age (P = 0.02), with increased PSA when controlled for prostate volume and age (P = 0.002), and with increased PSA density when controlled for age (P = 0.007). When controlled for prostate volume, PSA was not significantly different in black and white men 50 to 59 years old but was significantly greater in black men 60 to 69 and 70 to 79 years old (P = 0.02 and 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: On a volume/volume basis, the benign prostatic tissue of black men appears to contribute more PSA to the circulating blood than does the benign prostatic tissue of white men, and the difference increases with advancing age. These phenomena provide a reasonable explanation for the age-adjusted racial differences in the PSA of men with no clinical evidence of cancer.

Results of transition zone biopsy in black and white men with suspected prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether biopsy-detectable transition zone tumors are more common in black than in white men with suspected Stage T1c and T2 prostate cancer. METHODS: We performed a prospective study of transition zone prostate biopsy (TZ biopsy) in 1 78 black and 261 white men who had not undergone previous prostate biopsy and in 61 black and 65 white men who had undergone one benign sextant peripheral zone prostate biopsy (PZ biopsy). RESULTS: The mean age of the 239 black and 326 white study patients was 68.6+/-7.4 and 67.2+/-7.2 years, respectively (P = 0.02), the mean prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was 8.4+/-7.4 and 6.4+/-5.4 ng/mL, respectively (P = 0.003), and the mean PSA density was 0.20+/-0.23 and 0.16+/-0.16 ng/mL/mL, respectively (P = 0.006). Overall, cancer was diagnosed by TZ biopsy only in 7 black men (3%) and in no white men (0%) (P = 0.003). However, cancer detection with a TZ biopsy only was not significantly different in the black and white men when controlled for age, PSA, or PSA density (P>0.90). A TZ biopsy only detected cancer in 1% of patients who had not undergone prior PZ biopsy and in 2% of patients who had undergone prior PZ biopsy. Of the seven cancers detected with TZ biopsy, six (86%) had a Gleason score of 2 to 6. CONCLUSIONS: Prostate cancer detection with a TZ biopsy only is not common and when controlled for confounding variables is the same in black and white men. The preferential use of TZ biopsies in black men is not warranted, and the low diagnostic yield argues against routine use of the biopsy technique in men of either race.

Method of urinary diversion in nonurethral traumatic bladder injuries: retrospective analysis of 70 cases.

Management of intraperitoneal, nonurethral bladder injuries by urinary diversion using suprapubic (SP) catheters versus transurethral (TU) Foley catheters was examined retrospectively in a attempt to determine which were most effective. A total of 8500 trauma admissions (6/89-1/96) were screened for bladder injuries. Mechanism, degree, treatment, and morbidity of injury in association with SP or TU Foley catheter placement were evaluated. Of the total of 70 bladder injuries identified, the diagnosis in 40 patients (57%) whose injuries resulted from blunt trauma was made by cystogram (55%), CT scan alone (15%), or by exploration (30%). Of these, 22 patients (55%) were treated nonoperatively with a TU catheter for extraperitoneal extravasation or partial bladder wall laceration. Gunshot wounds accounted for 43 per cent (30 patients); of these patients, all but one had celiotomies and bladder repair. SP catheters were placed in three blunt trauma patients, preoperatively in 1 patient, and intraoperatively in 17 patients who had sustained penetrating trauma. A total of 50 patients (71%), 27 with repair and TU catheter and 23 with TU catheter alone, were treated without an SP catheter. All bladder or urethral morbidity occurred in the SP group (35%): 3 strictures, 2 urinary retentions, 1 SP infection, and 1 urinary infection. Degree of bladder injury was no different with or without an SP catheter. No urethral strictures, urinary tract infections, or retention occurred in isolated bladder injuries treated with TU catheters alone. Average SP and TU catheter duration was 42 and 13 days, respectively. TU catheters for management of blunt and penetrating bladder trauma are effective, cause fewer strictures and less morbidity, and may be removed more rapidly than SP catheters for any degree of bladder injury.

Prospective pretransplant ultrasound screening in 206 patients for acquired renal cysts and renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have reported an increased prevalence of renal cell carcinoma in association with acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD). In 1995, the clinical practice guidelines of the American Society of Transplant Physicians for evaluation of renal transplant candidates recommend not screening for ACKD and renal cell carcinoma, on the basis of the low frequency of cancer and reported regression of ACKD after transplantation. The objective of this study was to prospectively evaluate the prevalence of ACKD and renal cancer during renal transplant evaluation. METHODS: A total of 206 consecutive adult patients evaluated for renal transplantation underwent a routine renal ultrasound. Patients with a suspicious ultrasound underwent a contrasted computed tomographic scan of the kidneys followed by excision of kidneys with solid, enhancing (>10 Hounsfield units) lesions. RESULTS: Sixty-three (30.6%) of 206 patients had ACKD, with a greater proportion being male, African-American, and dialysis-dependent for a longer duration. Eight patients (3.8%) had histologically proven localized cancer (six unilateral, two bilateral), seven in association with ACKD and one in association with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. With a mean follow-up of 14 months (range, 3-33 mo), there has been no recurrence. The positive predictive value of a solid lesion on ultrasound was 100% (8 of 8 patients). CONCLUSION: With the high prevalence (3.4%) of renal cell carcinoma in association with ACKD and the concern that immunosuppression accelerates the growth of preexisting cancers, we continue to recommend ultrasound screening of the native kidneys before renal transplantation.