Editor's Commentary - Trends and co-trends of prostate-specific antigen and body mass index in a screened population

BERKELEY, CA (UroToday.com) - Studies suggest that lower PSA serum levels occur among men with higher body mass index (BMI).

This report in the online edition of Urology, focused on what a patient who gains or loses weight might expect regarding the effect on their annual PSA levels. The study used the San Antonio Center for Biomarkers of Risk of Prostate Cancer (SABOR) database, part of the NCI Early Detection Research Network. A total of 2,641 men are enrolled and from this, 2,986 BMI values and 3,283 PSA values from 585 participants who had at least one prostate biopsy, and 8,347 BMI values and 9,244 PSA measurements for the 1,898 men who never had a prostate biopsy were evaluated.

Men who never received a prostate biopsy weighed more than men diagnosed with prostate cancer (CaP) or those who had at least one prostate biopsy. BMI increased by 2.4% and 1.02% with each year on the study for men who did not undergo prostate biopsy and those who did, respectively. No significant variation in BMI was found among the 158 men diagnosed with CaP. Only age at enrollment in the study and time in the study had statistically significant effects on PSA. PSA increased 2.04%, 1.26%, and 1.31% for each increase in year of age of entry to the study for men with no biopsy, at least one biopsy and a diagnosis of CaP, respectively. For all 3 groups there was a significant increase in the PSA to BMI ratios with year on study. Correlation between changes in BMI and PSA over years on study was negative. Thus, a man with weight fluctuations year to year cannot attribute alterations in PSA to this.

Ankerst DP, Pollock BH, Liang Y, Dizdarevic N, Kyrylenko S, Boeck A, Thompson IM, Leach R

 

Urology. 2011 Jul;78(1):10-6
10.1016/j.urology.2011.01.069

PubMed Abstract
PMID: 21550639

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