Reinhard Nagel

Results of Measurement of Nuclear DNA by Single-cell Scanning Cytophotometry in Prostatic Carcinoma

This type of carcinoma does not exhibit a statistically significant increase in the middle ploidy range and thus the cytogram shows mainly the same DNA frequency distributions as those for nuclei with normal prostatic epithelium or prostatic adenomas (Fig. 239), with a slim peak in the diploid range (2 c) (Bocking 1981; Seppelt and Sprenger s1981).

The Technical Bases of Aspiration Biopsy

The quality of a cytological preparation, and thus the possibility of evaluating it, depends almost solely on: mastery of the puncture technique, and meticulous processing (smearing, fixation, staining) of the aspirated cellular material.

Secondary Tumors of the Prostate

Secondary tumors of the prostate are benign or malignant tumors of extraprostatic origin which gain access to the prostate from other organs by way of lymphatogenous or hematogenous spread or direct infiltration.

Primary Diagnosis of Carcinoma

In the primary diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma, cytology has two functions to fulfil, namely to secure the diagnosis, and to establish the grade of malignancy.

Treatment Control by Means of Regression Grading

Histological or cytological examination of a biopsy specimen from the primary tumor is at present the only objective and reproducible procedure for determining the effect of treatment on the primary tumor in cases of locally advanced, inoperable prostatic carcinoma (Cosgrove et al. 1973; Sewell et al. 1975). At the same time, biopsies performed during the course of treatment constitute a unique method of obtaining information on the biological activity of the tumor, i.e. its neoplastic potency, above all when there are no signs that a tumor has reached a far advanced stage (hydronephrosis, metastases) clinically.

Grading of Prostatic Carcinoma

Classification of prostatic carcinoma according to the criteria proposed by Dhom (1980) takes into consideration structural characteristics and depends to a large extent upon the architecture of tumoral growth (glandular and stromal features). Distinction is to be drawn between prostatic carcinomas having a uniform structural pattern and those whose structural pattern is pluriform, the latter predominating at 54%. Special forms of prostatic carcinoma are very rare, accounting for only 2.3% of cases (Table 11).