Prostate cancer: correlation of digital rectal examination, transrectal ultrasound and prostate specific antigen levels with tumor volumes in radical prostatectomy specimens.

Volume and distribution of prostatic carcinoma were measured in 30 radical prostatectomy specimens. Obtaining these data was facilitated by the use of whole tissue mounts. Similar measurements were obtained from preoperative transrectal ultrasound studies. With this information the ability of digital rectal examination and transrectal ultrasound to predict tumor burden was analyzed. It was concluded that both of these examinations are poor predictors of tumor volume, distribution and pathological stage. Preoperative prostate specific antigen levels were correlated with the pathological data. It appeared that prostate specific antigen levels of greater than 10 presage [corrected] tumor volumes of greater than 3 cc, and that levels of more than 50 are suggestive of stages C and D disease.