Low Testosterone May Be Risk Factor for Prostate Cancer Detection

Low testosterone levels predict an increased likelihood of high-grade prostate cancer being found as a result of a prostate biopsy, new findings suggest.

A team led by Hyeon Jeong, MD, of Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University, retrospectively studied 681 men who underwent an initial 12-core transrectal prostate biopsy. Of these, 86 had low testosterone levels (less than 300 ng/dL) and 143 had normal levels (300 ng/dL or higher). In addition, 143 men had a positive biopsy and 99 had high-grade prostate cancer.

In multivariable analysis, compared with a normal testosterone level, a low testosterone level was not significantly associated with a prostate cancer diagnosis overall, but it was associated with a significant 2.1 times increased risk for high-grade prostate cancer, the investigators reported online ahead of print in BJU International.

“Low testosterone level is an independent risk factor for high-grade prostate cancer detection at biopsy,” the researchers concluded. “Therefore, checking testosterone levels could help to determine whether prostate biopsy should be carried out.”

Reference

1. Park J et al. BJU Int. 2015;doi:10.1111/bju.13206.

This article originally appeared on Renal and Urology News