Assessment of radical prostatectomy specimens and diagnostic reporting of pathological findings.

Proper examination of radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens from patients with prostate cancer (PCa) is critical for determining the need for adjuvant treatment and for predicting the outcome. The first step in the examination is represented by the assessment of the specimens. This includes proper fixation in formalin and whole-mount sectioning. The second step is related to the diagnostic reporting of pathological findings. This includes the evaluation of tissue features such as Gleason grade, stage and margin status. These three parameters, together with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) determination, are predictive factors whose prognostic role has been demonstrated in several studies.