1. ¹Bostwick Laboratories, Glen Allen, VA, USA
2. ²Department of Pathology, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL, USA
3. ³Department of Urology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Correspondence: Dr DG Bostwick, MD, MBA, Bostwick Laboratories, 4355 Innslake Drive, Glen Allen, VA 23060, USA. E-mail: dbostwick@bostwicklaboratories.com

Received 17 November 2005; Revised 15 February 2006; Accepted 16 February 2006; Published online 10 March 2006.

Abstract

uPM3 is the first urine-based genetic test that is highly specific for detecting prostate cancer. The histopathologic characteristics of uPM3-detected cancer in radical prostatectomy specimens have not been previously described. We evaluated a consecutive series of radical prostatectomies to determine the extent, zonal distribution and other features of prostate cancer following uPM3 detection. A total of 24 whole-mounted, totally embedded radical prostatectomy specimens were evaluated. All patients had clinically localized cancer and none received preoperative therapy. Zonal location of cancer, distance to the urethra, cancer volume, Gleason grade and multicentricity were recorded; volume of cancer was measured using the grid-counting method. Patients ranged in age from 43 to 75 years (mean 65 years). In 21/24 cases, cancer involved the transition and peripheral zones and was multicentric (87%). Mean cancer volume was 3.96 cm³ (range 0.08–16.86 cm³). Mean distance to the urethra was 0.50 cm for the closest cancer and 0.61 cm for the most distant cancer. Mean Gleason score was 7 (range 5–9); pathologic stage was pT2 for 17 cases and pT3 for seven cases. The uPM3 is an independent and specific biomarker that detects prostate cancers of similar volume, location, extent and grade as other tests for early detection. uPM3 does not preferentially identify large or aggressive prostate cancers.