Comparative morphology of primary and secondary deposits of prostatic adenocarcinoma

In 42 patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate, histopathologic specimens of the original prostatic biopsy and lymphatic metastasis were classified using the grading system of tumor differentiation described by Gleason et al. The observed similarity between prostatic biopsy morphologic and the morphology in the corresponding lymphatic metastasis supports the concept that the histologic growth pattern of the primary tumor is reduplicated in the metastatic lesions. The observation that a more anaplastic pattern did not appear in the metastatic deposits implies that factors other than cellular loss of differentiation are responsible for the cells' ability to metastasize.