[Analysis and prognostic factors of the specimen of radical prostatectomy in prostate cancer]

Objectives: Handling and pathologic analysis of radical prostatectomy specimens are crucial to confirm the diagnosis of prostate cancer and evaluate prognostic criteria.

Material and methods: A systematic review of the scientific literature was performed in the Medline database (PubMed), using different associations of the following keywords: prostate cancer; prostatectomy; specimen; handling; pathology; tumor staging; Gleason score; surgical margin; prognosis; frozen section; lymph node; biomarkers. A particular search was done on specimen management and characterization of tissue prognostic factors.

Results: Handling of both radical prostatectomy specimen and lymph node dissection is standardized according to international criteria. Although the main histoprognostic factors are still Gleason score, pathologic staging and margin status, these criteria have been refined these last 10 years, allowing to improve the prediction of relapse after surgical treatment.

Conclusion: The standardization of handling and pathology reporting of radical prostatectomy specimens will be mandatory for treatment uniformization according to risk stratification in prostate cancer and personalization of therapeutic approaches.