title: Pretreatment plasma testosterone and estradiol levels in patients with locally advanced or metastasized prostatic cancer. FINNPROSTATE Group.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies concerning pretreatment plasma hormonal environment in relation to stage of prostatic cancer have given conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to compare the pretreatment plasma testosterone (T), free T (fT), estradiol (E2), and free E2 (fE2) levels in patients with locally advanced (T3-4 M0) and metastatic (T1-4 M1) prostatic cancer, and to further examine the effect of the patients' general condition on these levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present series consisted of 238 patients (Finnprostate 6 study). The variables analyzed were E2, fE2, T, fT, age, body mass index (BMI), sex hormone binding globulin capacity (SHBG), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and performance status (PS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The E2 and fE2 levels were significantly higher in M0 patients than in M1 patients, with no significant differences in T and fT levels. In multivariate analyses, a decline in performance status (PS), an increase in ESR, or a decrease in Hb, were related to a decrease in T, fT, E2, or fE2 levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pretreatment plasma estradiol was significantly lower in M1 patients than in M0 patients, but there were no significant differences in T levels, although the poor general condition was related to a decrease in the pretreatment levels of both testosterone and estradiol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland. arto.mikkola@dlc.fi
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mikkola
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Aro
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rannikko
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Salo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol