Journal of Cytology & Histology

Does Exist A Correlation Between BMI and Gleason Patterns 4 and 5 At Prostate Biopsy?

Abstract

Vincenzo Serretta, Giovanni Caruana, Francesco Sommatino, Salvatore Scurria, Giuseppe Carità, Luigi Vaccarella, Federico Torretta, Giuseppe Cicero, Marcello Daricello and Vito Franco

Background: Obesity has been related with higher Gleason grade and worse prognosis. Increasing proportion of Gleason pattern 4 or 5 is a critical factor for biochemical recurrence, progression and mortality. The endocrine activity of visceral fat could be responsible of the differentation of the prostatic malignant cell towards a more aggressive fenotype. The aim of our study was to correlate Body Mass Index with the presence of Gleason pattern 4 or higher at biopsy.

Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with positive prostate biopsy were included. A transrectal prostate biopsy procedure with 12 cores, was performed. All tissue samples were reviewed.

Results: Out of 135 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer at biopsy, a Gleason. pattern 4 or 5 was evident in 57 (42%) patients, while it was not detected in 78 (58%). The statistical analysis did not demonstrate a correlation between the histological expression of Gleason pattern 4 or 5 in the bioptic specimens and the BMI class.


Conclusion: Although high risk prostate cancer has been reported more frequent in patients with higher BMI, in our experience, no significant correlation between BMI and Gleason patterns 4 and 5 at biopsy was detected. Other factors responsible for the worse prognosis and the more aggressive behavior of prostate tumors in obeses should be investigated.