Clinical significance of chromosome 8p, 10q and 16q deletions in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND. We lack simple and reliable diagnostic tools to predict pathological staging as well as further progression of prostate cancer in individual cases. METHODS. We studied deletions on 8p (8p22 and 8p23-pter), 10q (10q24-qter), and 16q (16q24) by fluorescence in situ hybridization in 53 specimens from patients with prostate cancer, and compared the status of these deletions with various clinical parameters. Forty-five cases were further evaluated regarding disease progression with a median follow-up period of 62 months. RESULTS. The overall frequencies of deletions for 8p, 10q, and 16q were 74, 55, and 55%, respectively. The frequency of 8p and 16q deletions increased significantly in parallel with tumor grade (P < 0.01 and < 0.05, respectively), while that of 10q deletions did not. Patients whose tumors showed 8p22 deletions had a significantly higher frequency in pT3 or metastatic tumors than in pT2 tumors. Patients whose tumors showed both 8p22 and 16q24 deletions had a significantly higher frequency of nodal metastases than non-metastases. A Cox hazard proportional model revealed 8p22 deletion to be the strongest parameter predictive of disease progression (hazard ratio = 6.624; P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION. Estimation of 8p22 and 16q24 deletions may serve as a genetic diagnosis for predicting pathological staging as well as disease progression in prostate cancer. (C) 2002 Wiley- Liss, Inc.