T0 carcinoma of the prostate: influence of tumor extent and histologic grade on prognosis of untreated patients.

Eighty-two patients with T0 carcinoma of the prostate represent 20% of the 404 prostatic cancer patients in a Finnish multicenter study. The positive correlation between the poor differentiation grade and increasing tumor volume is presented. Since most of the patients (59/82) are not receiving any treatment, it is possible to evaluate the correlation between the pathologic findings and progression tendency of T0 carcinoma. There is evidence that patients with T0 carcinoma and diffuse involvement exhibit a worse prognosis than patients with a classic solitary intracapsular nodule (stage T1 or B1). A diffuse lesion and poorly or even moderately differentiated tumor requires an individually selected, aggressive therapy.