No association of serum gonadal or pituitary hormones with prognostic parameters in stages T1 to T3 PN0M0 prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Recent reports suggest a possible association of the clinical aggressiveness of prostate cancer with low serum testosterone, and high serum levels of lutenizing hormone (LH) and/or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This hypothesis was tested in the current study.


METHODS
Serum levels of testosterone, LH, FSH, estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin were determined as well as the calculated ratio of testosterone-to-sex hormonebinding globulin in 370 patients with newly diagnosed, stages T1 to T3 pN0M0 prostate cancer. The results were related to T category, Gleason score and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA).


RESULTS
No statistically significant association was found for the serum levels of testosterone, LH, FSH, estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin or the testosterone-to-sex hormone-binding globulin ratio with T category, Gleason score or PSA. In contrast to expectations, serum testosterone values within the lowest quartile were not associated with elevated LH. Of the 370 patients 17 (5%) had serum testosterone below the normal range (8 nmol./l. or less) and only 3 of these 17 showed elevated LH levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum levels reflecting the pituitary-gonadal axis at diagnosis are not associated with clinically used measures of tumor aggressiveness (T category, Gleason score or PSA) in patients with newly diagnosed T1 to T3 pN0M0 prostate cancer.
Department of Clinical Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Philip
P
Fodstad
Trine
T
Bjøro
Goran
G
Torlakovic
Sophie D
SD
Fossa
D000368:Aged; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone