Tissue microarray - An infrastructure for prostate cancer outcome research

In tissue microarray (TMA) approximately 500 clinical formalin fixed and paraffin embedded tissue cores are reorganized into a new recipient block. Each recipient block may be sectioned up to 200 times. Material and Methods: Radical prostatectomy specimens of 405 patients operated for prostate cancer (CaP) between 1992 and 2004 were considered. A large database was created incorporating clinical and pathological data. Median follow-up time was 84 months. A full pathological revision was performed. We allocated and marked sites of interest on patients' slides: CaP, normal prostate, capsular or seminal vesicles invasion and the appropriate controls. The corresponding paraffin blocks served as donor blocks for harvesting tissue cores sequentially incorporated into the TMA recipient block. Results: The specimens of 264 patients out of 405 qualified for inclusion into the TMA (yield 65%). Two TMA copies were prepared containing 4 blocks each. Each copy includes approximately 2000 tissue cores. Conclusions: We have constructed a large scale TMA associated with a detailed clinical database. This TMA will serve for prostate cancer outcome studies by using immunohistochemical as well as other molecular staining. Our TMA is unique because it contains sites of interest for CaP local invasiveness and metastasis.