Pathologic assessment of the surgical specimen

The United States has seen a dramatic increase in the number of radical prostatectomies performed per year. Concurrently, there has been an explosion in articles dealing with the relation of both conventional histologic parameters and biomarkers to progression following radical prostatectomy. This article reviews the handling of radical prostatectomy specimens, and the relation of findings derived from the prostatectomy specimen to the prediction of postoperative prognosis.