Incidental prostate cancer in transurethral resection specimens. Pathological anatomy service CMDLT period 2020 – 2024

Abstract

Prostate cancer is a frequent malignant neoplasm globally, with limitations in timely diagnosis. OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of incidental prostate cancer in biopsy results obtained through TURP with a clinical diagnosis of prostatic hyperplasia. METHODS: A descriptive, retrospective, and cross-sectional study was conducted, based on the review of biopsy reports obtained via the TURP procedure with a previous diagnosis of prostatic hyperplasia. Reports of specimens incidentally diagnosed with prostate adenocarcinoma for the period from January 2020 to December 2024 were collected. RESULTS: A total of 93 TURP biopsy reports were obtained from patients with an age range of 45 to 89 years and a mean age of 66.9 years, all with a previous diagnosis of prostatic hyperplasia. Of these patients, 7 were incidentally diagnosed with acinar type histological prostate adenocarcinoma, which corresponds to 7,53%. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of incidental prostate cancer detected in TURP specimens at the study center during the specified period is 7,53%. This finding underscores the importance of routine histopathological examination of the resected tissue, confirming that TURP, while not a primary diagnostic procedure, constitutes a relevant pathway for the incidental detection of this neoplasm in patients undergoing surgery for benign obstructive pathology. Due to these findings, the need for strict postoperative follow-up and for informing patients about the risk of incidentally identifying cancer in the anatomopathological study is emphasized incidental cancer, transurethral resection, prostate adenocarcinoma.