Pathological features of localized prostate cancer in China: a contemporary analysis of radical prostatectomy specimens

There has been a rapid increase in the incidence of prostate cancer in China, especially in areas with boosted economic development. In this study, we analyzed the pathological features of a contemporary series of radical prostatectomy cases. A total of 230 consecutive, whole-mounted radical prostatectomy specimens collected from 2012 to 2014 were reviewed. The median age of the patients was 68 years, and 64.3% of patients presented with prostate specific antigen alone. Pathological examination indicated that a high proportion (77.4%) of patients had intermediate- or high-risk disease according to the Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment Post-Surgical score. After surgery, only 28 patients met the criteria for active surveillance (organ-confined Gleason ≥6 disease). The Prostate Cancer Research International Active Surveillance criteria achieved a sensitivity of 57.1% and a specificity of 98.0% for identifying candidates. The probability of Gleason score upgrading was 24.8% in the entire group and 59.0% in biopsy-confirmed Gleason ≥6 disease. The predominant tumor was located in the transition zone in 14.8% of cases, while only three patients (1.3%) had a predominant tumor located in the anterior region. Patients with transition zone-predominant tumor were likely to have been referred with urinary symptoms and high prostate specific antigen levels. The results of this study highlight the contemporary pathological features of localized prostate cancer in urban China. There was an increased trend towards asymptomatic cases, though most patients had intermediate- or high-risk disease and were suitable for definitive treatment. The low prevalence of dominant cancer in the anterior region may reflect race-based pathological differences.