No objective parameters have been found so far that can predict the
biological behavior of early stages of prostatic cancer, which are
encountered frequently nowadays due to surveillance and screening
programs. We have applied comparative genomic hybridization to routinely
processed, paraffin-embedded radical prostatectomy specimens derived from
patients who participated in the European Randomized Study of Screening
for Prostate Cancer. We defined a panel consisting of 36 early cancer
specimens: 13 small (total tumor volume (Tv) < 0.5 ml) carcinomas and 23
intermediate (Tv between 0.5-1.0 ml) tumors. These samples were compared
with a set of 16 locally advanced, large (Tv > 2.0 ml) tumor samples, not
derived from the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate
Cancer. Chromosome arms that frequently (ie, > or = 15%) showed loss in
the small tumors included 13q (31%), 6q (23%), and Y (15%), whereas
frequent (ie, > or = 15%) gain was seen of 20q (15%). In the intermediate
cancers, loss was detected of 8p (35%), 16q (30%), 5q (26%), Y (22%), 6q,
and 18q (both 17%). No consistent gains were found i
