A collaborative effort has been established at the Eastern Virginia Medical School between the departments of Urology, Pathology, Microbiology and the Genetics Program to examine cytogenetic changes in prostatic carcinomas. Patients who present with symptoms suggestive of cancer of the prostate undergo transurethral resection and a portion of the resected specimen is used to initiate a primary prostatic culture. Cells are grown for a minimal time in-vitro (ideally 7-10 days) until an adequate portion of the culture(s) can be blocked in metaphase and mitotic chromosomes obtained. Slides are prepared and chromosomes are G- and Q-banded and mitotic cells are analyzed and photographed. Data concerning chromosome numbers per cell and any deviations from a normal, diploid karyotype are recorded and compared to histopathological reports on the initial biopsy material. Three mitotic preparations have thus far been obtained, two of which have been confirmed to be carcinoma by pathological examination. One of these prostatic carcinomas, with moderately differentiated cells, had a diploid karyotype (2N=46) with no detectable chromosome changes. The other carcinoma, which was found to be at the advanced, undifferentiated stage, had a modal chromosome number of 84 (range 62-88) with multiple chromosomal rearrangements. The Y chromosome was absent in this sample and several marker chromosomes, including i(1q), appear to consistently be present. The research proposed is designed to expand the study of prostatic tissue to approximately fifty specimens in each of the first and subsequent years, with the goal of correlating chromosome changes to the clinical course of patients with prostatic cancer. Stage and grade of the cancer, previous therapeutic treatment and any metastasis will be considered in the cytogenetic evaluation. (If metastasis to other tissue is involved and obtainable, this will also be analyzed for chromosome changes.) Since cancer of the prostate is very common in the older male population, any correlation between chromosome changes and the progression of the cancer is likely to prove invaluable in the management and eventual understanding of this disease.
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