Clinical and pathological features of hereditary prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: We determined whether the clinical and pathological features of hereditary prostate cancer differ from those of sporadic prostate cancer.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

We compared the clinical and pathological features of radical prostatectomy specimens from 50 men with and 50 without a family history of prostate cancer who were matched for age and date of surgery.

RESULTS

Median serum prostate specific antigen concentration was not significantly different in the 2 groups. Mean Gleason score plus or minus standard deviation in the 50 men with sporadic prostate cancer was 6.2 +/- 1 compared to 5.6 +/- 0.9 in those with hereditary disease (p = 0.008). Of the 50 hereditary and 50 sporadic prostate cancers 35 (70%) and 33 (66%), respectively, were pathologically organ confined (p = 0.69). Median percentage of carcinoma within the gland (determined morphometrically) in men with hereditary disease was 11.4 +/- 8.3 compared to 10.9 +/- 8.9 for those with sporadic cancer (p = 0.63).

CONCLUSIONS

In our study population hereditary prostate cancers have significantly lower Gleason scores compared to sporadic carcinomas. Otherwise, there appear to be no substantial clinical or pathological differences.