The association of the cribriform pattern with outcome for prostatic adenocarcinomas

Abstract

With the revision of the Gleason system at the 2005 International Society of Urological Pathology Consensus Conference, there was consensus that most cribriform glands should be classified as pattern 4. There is now increased understanding that invasive cribriform carcinoma is a relatively aggressive disease. This study was based on 233 radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens collected at the Department of Pathology, Umraniye Education and Research Hospital, from 2006 to 2013. We assessed the cribriform foci associated with the more definitive patterns 3, 4, and 5 elsewhere on the RP specimens and evaluated the association of the presence of cribriform pattern (CP) with biochemical prostate-specific antigen recurrence (BPR). In Cox regression model, taking into account the Gleason score (GS), pathologic stage, surgical margin (SM) status, presence of a CP, and preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a positive SM, and the presence of a CP were independent predictors of BPR after RP. We observed BPR more frequently in GS 3+3 cases with a CP than in those without a CP (p=0.008). There was no significant difference in BPR status for cases with GS 3+4, 4+3, 4+5, and 5+4 when the patients were stratified by the presence of a CP. On the basis of these data, we suggest that the classification of CP into Gleason pattern 4 has value in predicting BPR status after RP. However, as many of these modifications are empirical and supported by only a few studies, long-term follow-up studies with clinical endpoints are necessary to validate these recommendations.

Keywords: Cribriform pattern; Gleason pattern; Gleason score; Prostate gland; Prostatic adenocarcinoma.