title: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate--a predictor of malignant potential in early prostate cancer.
abstract: The prognostic value of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was investigated in a population-based prostate cancer study, comparing 556 patients treated with no intent to cure. The data originated from hospital charts and death certificates. A statistically significant relationship between ESR at diagnosis and overall as well as disease-specific survival was demonstrated by univariate and multivariate analyses. A similar result was demonstrated in the 179 patients suffering from clinically organ-confined (T1-2,Nx,M0) disease. In a subpopulation consisting entirely of clinically organ-confined, small (T1), well-differentiated tumors, the dichotomized ESR (< or =20 mm/h vs. >20 mm/h) at the time of diagnosis distinguished between aggressive and non-aggressive tumors. In a small, second prostate cancer population it was demonstrated that ESR was not a surrogate marker for prostate- specific antigen (PSA). Our results indicate that ESR is a significant predictor of survival in early localized prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Danish Cancer Society, Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, University Hospital of Aarhus. deco@onko.aau.dk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borre
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nerstrøm
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Overgaard
mesh_terms: D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen