Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of a mitochondrial functional score in predicting the progress of prostate cancer. METHODS: This retrospective study included 72 patients (mean age 70.1 years) with prostate cancer who were treated by radical prostatectomy between October 2006 and March 2007. The epithelioglandular mitochondrial functional scores were assessed according to the Flameng grading. Patients were divided into six groups (groups 1 – 6) according to their Gleason score (Gleason score 2 – 7, respectively). The correlation between Gleason score and mitochondrial functional score was examined using Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The mean mitochondrial functional score was significantly lower in group 6 compared with group 1. An inverse correlation was found between the Gleason and mitochondrial functional scores. At 1 year, significantly fewer patients in group 1 had died (0/15 patients) than in group 6 (2/10 patients); the deaths were cancer-related. CONCLUSIONS: Mitochondrial dysfunction exists in patients with prostate cancer, particularly in cases with a higher degree of malignancy. The mitochondrial functional score, combined with the Gleason score, is beneficial for predicting the progress of prostate cancer.