| Abstract | | Incidental carcinoma of the prostate (Stage A) is report in 10% of TURP (Transurethral resection) specimens. The aims of this study were first, to assess the accuracy of the area fraction (AA) of prostatic cancer defined as the percentage ofchips against stereology (gold standard technique) and second to evaluate a newly described rapid stereology technique based on drawing tube and image analysis system. Fifty formalin fixed fully embedded TURP specimens from patients with prostatic carcinoma were used. Patients wre divided into three groups in relation to the AA ofcarcinoma. Group 1 (20) the AA was 0-5%, group 2 (18) the AA was 5.1-35% and group 3 (12) the AA was 35.1-100%. H&E stained slides were used to assess the AA by three different techniques. regression line analysis and the Altman and Bland correlation were used for the comparison between the methods. The overall accuracy of AA (0-100%) of both routine and new methods was good in comparison with stereology. In group 1 the percentage of chips method was less sensitive than stereology (p=ns). The new method compared well with stereology (P<0.0001) technique in all three groups of patients. The Altman and Bland correlation showeed overestimation of the percentage of chips which was more marked at the level ofupper value for group 3 with overlap between groups 1 and 2. The new method showed minor underestimation for the lower values for group 1 and small overestimation for the upper value ingroup 3. In general the new method compared well that routine counting of chips with tumour was less sensitive than stereology for the accurate assessment of AA.(Abstract truncated at 2000 characters)
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