Is the natural history of prostate cancer different according to serum neuroendocrine profile?

Abstract

15536 Background: Elevated neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and chromogranine (CgA) values correlate with poor prognosis in prostate cancer (PC) patients (pts). They are correlated with the histological phenotype and a short hormone-sensitivity interval. The impact on the outcome was less explored. Methods: Eligible PC pts were required to have serial CgA and NSE specimens after the initial diagnosis in the venous blood, using commercial kits. Markers were defined as abnormal (+) or normal (-) with a threshold of 20,6 and 100 ng/mL for NSE and CgA, respectively. The endpoint was to evaluate the clinical impact of serum NSE and CgA on the natural history (NH) of the PC using the multivariate Cox regression analysis, stratified by Gleason score and adjusted by age at diagnosis. NH was calculated between the initial diagnosis and death or last follow-up for censored pts. Results: Blood samples were obtained from 213 PC pts, 53% with a metastatic hormone-refractory disease at the moment of the analysis. Seven, 36% and 10% of pts had either an abnormal NSE, CgA or both. Normal serum NSE and CgA were found in 47% of all pts and only in 35% of metastatic hormone-refractory PC pts. Median age was 64 years (range 41–82), 41% of pts had a Gleason score 8–10. Median NSE and CgA levels were 13.3 and 92 ng/mL, respectively. The median of the NH was not reached yet. The adjusted risk of death was multiplied by 3.1 for pts with abnormal NSE or/and CgA (HR=3.5, unadjusted for age). A borderline relationship was observed at the multivariate analysis between NH and the neuroendocrine profile ( Table ). Conclusions: NSE was the most powerful predictor of the NH in PC pts, regardless the moment of the rise during the NH. A systematic NSE and CgA assessment could be proposed for all pts. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.