Department of Urology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.

This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Although hormones play fundamental roles in prostate growth, their clinical significance is not completely clear. In the present study we assessed whether serum hormone levels are markers of prostate disease.

In 128 patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy or prostate cancer, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin levels were correlated with disease. In patients with prostate cancer, the hormone levels were also correlated with prognostic factors. Predictive values were assessed for prostate-specific antigen and testosterone levels only, using multiple logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves.

The testosterone concentrations were significantly lower in patients with prostate cancer than in those with benign prostatic hypertrophy and were also significantly lower in patients with advanced-stage disease than in patients with organ-confined disease. Testosterone appears to be an independent predictor of disease and enhances the predictive accuracy for benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer.

This study supports experimental findings that prostate cancer is frequently associated with low testosterone concentrations. In the diagnostic workup for prostate cancer, associating prostate-specific antigen and testosterone levels may improve the predictive accuracy of prostate disease tests.

Written by
Mearini L, Costantini E, Zucchi A, Mearini E, Bini V, Cottini E, Porena M.

Reference
Urol Int. 2008;80(2):134-40.
doi:10.1159/000112602

PubMed Abstract
PMID:18362481

UroToday.com Prostate Cancer Section

Please log-in or register in order to submit comments.

Powered by AkoComment!