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Prostate cancer has substantial heterogeneity in clinical outcomes and therapeutic responses, posing challenges in predicting disease progression and tailoring treatment strategies. Recent studies have highlighted the potential prognostic value of evaluating the tumor microenvironment, including the presence of a histologically overt stromal response (HOST-response) characterized by peri-glandular stromal changes and architectural distortions. This retrospective study examined patient records from The Cancer Genome Atlas database to identify genomic alterations associated with the HOST-response in prostate cancer. Among 348 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, 160 (45.98%) were identified as having a HOST-response. A gene expression analysis revealed 1263 genes with significantly higher expression in patients with a HOST-response. A protein–protein interaction network analysis identified seven hub genes (KIF2C, CENPA, CDC20, UBE2C, ESPL1, KIF23, and PLK1) highly interconnected in the network. A functional enrichment analysis revealed alterations in the cell division, cytoskeletal organization, cytokinesis, and interleukin-16 signaling pathways in patients with a HOST-response, suggesting dysregulated proliferation and inflammation. The distinct molecular signature associated with the HOST-response provides insights into the tumor–stroma interactions driving adverse outcomes and potential targets for tailored therapeutic interventions in this subset of patients with prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study sought to evaluate the late toxicity associated with neoadjuvant and concurrent docetaxel and radiation therapy in patients with prostate cancer. Methods: A secondary analysis was performed of the phase 3 multicenter randomized trial (Dana‐Farber Cancer Institute 05‐043) including 350 patients with nonmetastatic unfavorable‐risk prostate cancer. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive androgen deprivation therapy, radiation therapy, and docetaxel versus androgen deprivation therapy and radiation therapy. The study assessed the cumulative incidence rates of grade 2 and grade 3 or higher gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and sexual toxicity. A multivariable Fine and Gray's competing risks regression model adjusted for age at randomization and pelvic lymph node radiation therapy was used to evaluate the treatment effect of docetaxel on time to late genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicities. Results: The study included 338 patients who primarily had minimal or no comorbidity (74.9%) and median age 66 years (interquartile range: 61,71). At a median follow‐up of 10.2 years, docetaxel was not associated with increased risk of any grade 3 or higher (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36–2.67; p =.96) or grade 2 gastrointestinal (p =.75), genitourinary (p =.44), and sexual (p =.29) toxicity. Age was associated with increased grade 3 or higher (AHR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01–1.16; p =.03) and grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicity (AHR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03–1.20; p =.005). A nonsignificant trend (p =.09) toward increased late grade 3 or higher toxicity was observed for pelvic radiation therapy use. Conclusions: Docetaxel combined with radiotherapy has an acceptable long‐term toxicity profile. Docetaxel combined with radiotherapy has an acceptable long‐term toxicity profile, affirming the safety of this regimen as evidence supporting its efficacy continues to emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe consequences of low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in high-grade (Gleason 8-10) prostate cancer are unknown.ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical implications and genomic features of low-PSA, high-grade disease.Design, setting, and participantsThis was a retrospective study of clinical data for 494 793 patients from the National Cancer Data Base and 136 113 patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program with cT1-4N0M0 prostate cancer (median follow-up 48.9 and 25.0 mo, respectively), and genomic data for 4960 patients from the Decipher Genomic Resource Information Database. Data were collected for 2004-2017.Outcome measurements and statistical analysisMultivariable Fine-Gray and Cox regressions were used to analyze prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) and all-cause mortality, respectively.Results and limitationsFor Gleason 8-10 disease, using PSA 4.1-10.0ng/ml (n=38 719) as referent, the distribution of PCSM by PSA was U-shaped, with an adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) of 2.70 for PSA ≤2.5ng/ml (n=3862, p20.0ng/ml (n=16 114), respectively. By contrast, the distribution of PCSM by PSA was linear for Gleason ≤7 (using PSA 4.1-10.0ng/ml as the referent, n=359 898), with an AHR of 0.41 (p=0.13) for PSA ≤2.5ng/ml (n=37 812) versus 1.38, 2.28, and 4.61 for PSA of 2.6-4.0 (n=54 152), 10.1-20.0 (n=63 319), and >20.0ng/ml (n=35 459), respectively (pinteraction2.5ng/ml (AHR 2.15, p=0.002; 47-mo PCSM 14% vs 4.9%). Among Gleason 8-10 patients treated with radiotherapy, androgen deprivation therapy was associated with a survival benefit for PSA >2.5ng/ml (AHR 0.87; p2.5ng/ml (p=0.046), with no such relationship for Gleason ≤7 disease.ConclusionsLow-PSA, high-grade prostate cancer has very high risk for PCSM, potentially responds poorly to androgen deprivation therapy, and is associated with neuroendocrine genomic features.Patient summaryIn this study, we found that low-prostate-specific antigen, high-grade prostate cancer has a very high risk for prostate cancer death, may not respond well to androgen deprivation therapy, and is associated with neuroendocrine genomic features. These findings suggest that current nomograms and treatment paradigms may need modification.

Simple Summary: Prostate cancer is a condition with varying outcomes, and understanding its progression is vital for treatment. Our research focused on a specific pattern observed in tumor cells, known as cribriform pattern 4 (CP4), which can indicate how aggressive a cancer might be. By studying patients who had undergone surgery to remove the prostate gland, we found that those with CP4 tended to have a higher risk of cancer recurrence. Additionally, we discovered certain genes that behaved differently in patients with CP4, suggesting unique genetic changes associated with this pattern. Our findings suggest that patients with CP4 might need more intense treatment after surgery and could help doctors decide on the best course of action. Importantly, our research provides new insights that could lead to better management of prostate cancer, aiming to improve patient outcomes. Purpose: Given the diverse clinical progression of prostate cancer (PC) and the evolving significance of histopathological factors in its management, this study aimed to explore the impact of cribriform pattern 4 (CP4) on clinical outcomes in PC patients and examine its molecular characteristics. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and included PC patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) and had pathology slides available for the assessment of CP4. A multivariable competing risk regression analysis was used to assess the association between CP4 and progression-free survival (PFS) while adjusting for established PC prognostic factors. The frequency of genomic alterations was compared between patients with and without CP4 using the Fisher's exact test. Results: Among the 394 patients analyzed, 129 (32.74%) had CP4. After a median follow-up of 40.50 months (IQR: 23.90, 65.60), the presence of CP4 was significantly associated with lower PFS (AHR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.08 to 3.114; p = 0.023) after adjusting for covariates. Seven hub genes—KRT13, KRT5, KRT15, COL17A1, KRT14, KRT16, and TP63—had significantly lower mRNA expression levels in patients with CP4 compared to those without. Conclusions: PC patients with CP4 have distinct genomic alterations and are at a high risk of disease progression following RP. Therefore, these patients may benefit from additional post-RP treatments and should be the subject of a prospective randomized clinical trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeThe long-term prostate cancer-specific survival for patients initially managed with active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer ranges from 97% to 100%. We characterized factors that are associated with aggressive treatment with radical prostatectomy or radiation for indolent prostate cancer (defined as screening-detected, low-risk disease).MethodsThe Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program was used to extract a cohort of 39,803 men diagnosed with prostate-specific antigen-detected, low-risk prostate cancer (clinical category T1c, Gleason score ≤6, and prostate-specific antigen