Role of neoadjuvant treatment in clinically confined prostate cancer. Takeda NHT Italian Group

Abstract

Objective: This prospective, randomized, multicenter comparative trial studied the effect of neoadjuvant hormonal treatment (NHT) prior to radical, prostatectomy.

Methods: Histopathologic tissue specimens were obtained from 91 consecutive patients (aged 60-70 years) who underwent a radical prostatectomy for stage B prostate adenocarcinoma. The patients had received NHT for three months. Specimens were compared with those from 48 age-matched control patients who underwent similar surgery for stage B disease without receiving preoperative therapy.

Results: Treated tumors with an acinar pattern were distinguishable from the untreated tumors by neoplastic acini that appeared shrunken and areas of individual infiltrating tumor cells separated by an abundant interglandular connective tissue. The epithelial tumor cells had inconspicuous nucleoli, nuclear shrinkage, chromatin condensation and pyknosis, cytoplasmic clearing, and enlargement by coalescence of vacuoles and rupture of cell membranes. No mitotic figures were seen in any treated tumors.

Conclusions: Preliminary results show a benefit for patients receiving NHT in regard to the histologic indicators that we evaluated.