PROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY AS AN ADJUNCT IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF PROSTATIC ADENOCARCINOMA

Sixty-nine men underwent transrectal ultrasound-directed biopsy of the prostate. One biopsy core from each side of each gland was sent for D NA flow cytometric testing (138 total specimens). Results were correla ted with findings from standard he matoxylin and eosin staining of oth er cores. Twelve patients (17.4%) had biopsies with histopathologic ev idence of prostatic carcinoma. Of 57 patients (82.6%) with benign biop sies, two had stage A prostate adenocarcinoma noted on subsequent tran surethral resection. Proliferative activity was calculated from DNA hi stograms by adding the percentage of nuclei in the proliferative (S an d G2/M) phases of the cell-division cycle. Mean proliferative activity for the malignant group (19.08) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of the benign group (13.43). Inflammation was associated wit h elevated proliferative activity scores among benign glands. Prolifer ative activity is an objective, easily obtainable indicator of the bio logical activity of a population of cells which, when elevated, may su ggest a need for repeat biopsy in patients with otherwise normal prost ate biopsies. Flow cytometry may have value as a complement to standar d histologic analysis of transrectal core biopsies in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.