The presence of chronic inflammation in positive prostate biopsy is associated with upgrading in radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the predictive effect of the presence of chronic prostatitis associated with prostate cancer (PCa) in prostate biopsy on Gleason score upgrade (GSU) in radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The data of 295 patients who underwent open or robotic RP with a diagnosis of localized PCa following biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups with and without GSU following RP. Predictive factors affecting GSU on biopsy were determined. The impact of chronic prostatitis associated with prostate cancer on GSU was examined via logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Out of 224 patients with Gleason 3+3 scores on biopsy, 145 (64.7%) had Gleason upgrade, and 79 (35.2%) had no upgrade. Whilst comparing the two groups with and without Gleason upgrade in terms of patient age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value, PSA density (PSAD), prostate volume (PV), neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratio, number of positive cores, percentage of positive cores, and Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 score, no statistically significant difference was detected. The presence of chronic prostatitis associated with PCa was higher in the patient cohort with GSU in contrast to the other group (p < 0.001). According to the univariate logistic regression analysis, the presence of chronic prostatitis was identified to be an independent marker for GSU.

CONCLUSIONS

Pathologists and urologists should be careful regarding the possibility of a more aggressive tumor in the presence of chronic inflammation associated with PCa because inflammation within PCa was revealed to be linked with GSU after RP.