Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Prostate Cancer in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Facility

Ulebe AO; Joseph U; Osogu EF; Odo C; Obi AO; Ogbobe U; Onyebum O; Omebe S; Afogu E; Okoke CJ

doi:10.61386/imj.v19i2.1060

Authors

Ulebe AO Department of Surgery, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9954-8794
Joseph U Department of Surgical Pathology, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Osogu EF Department of Surgical Pathology, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Odo C Department of Surgery, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Obi AO Department of Surgery, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Ogbobe U Department of Surgery, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Onyebum O Department of Surgery, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Omebe S Department of Surgery, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Afogu E Department of Surgery, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Okoke CJ Department of Urology, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Merseyside, United Kingdom

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61386/imj.v19i2.1060

Keywords:

Prostate Cancer, Clinicopathologic characteristics, Gleason score, Nigeria, Tertiary health institutions

Abstract

Background: Cancer of prostate (CAP) is a public health problem. Its prognosis depends on various clinical and histopathological parameters.

Objective: The study aimed to analyze the clinical and histopathological characteristics of CAP diagnosed in our facility.

Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive cross-sectional study of histopathologically confirmed cases of CAP seen in our facility over a 3year period.

Results: Out of the 550 cases reviewed during the study period, CAP was histopathologically diagnosed in 201 patients, giving an incidence of 36.5% for CAP in this study.

The mean age of the patients was 69.4+10.0 years (ranges:45.0 to 95.0 years). Twenty-two patients (10.9%) had a positive family history of CAP. The commonest symptom at presentation was lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) (63.7%) followed by urinary retention (8.0%). The median PSA was 35.8 ng/ml (Ranges: 7.9 to 200.0 ng/ml) while 116 (57.7%) had abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) findings. The predominant source of tissue for histopathology was prostate biopsy (85.1%). All were adenocarcinomas histopathologically, with majority of patients, 92.0 (45.8%), having moderately differentiated tumors. Gleason grade 3, being the predominant grade, was seen in 109 (54.2%) patients while the Gleason score 7 was the commonest observed in 92 (45.8%) patients.

The commonest ISUP grade seen in 55 (27.4%) patients was grade 1 with the least (12.4%) being ISUP grade IV.

There was no correlation between the age and the Gleason grade, Gleason score, ISUP grade and serum PSA (p-value >0.05) but there was a statistically significant difference in the mean age at diagnosis with those having a positive family history of CAP presenting at earlier age compared to those without positive family history (P<0.001)

Conclusion: Adenocarcinomas were the only histopathology variant seen in this study with majority of tumors being moderately differentiated. Gleason grade 3 was the predominant pattern seen with ISUP grade 1 tumors being commonest. A positive family of CAP is an important determinant of age of onset of CAP.