title: Serum androgens and prostate cancer among 643 cases and 643 controls in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.
abstract: We examined the hypothesis that serum concentrations of circulating androgens and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) are associated with risk for prostate cancer in a case-control study nested in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Concentrations of androstenedione, testosterone, androstanediol glucuronide and SHBG were measured in serum samples for 643 prostate cancer cases and 643 matched control participants, and concentrations of free testosterone were calculated. Conditional logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios for risk of prostate cancer in relation to the serum concentration of each hormone. After adjustment for potential confounders, there was no significant association with overall risk for prostate cancer for serum total or free testosterone concentrations (highest versus the lowest thirds: OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.73-1.41 and OR, 1.07, 95% CI, 0.74-1.55, respectively) or for other androgens or SHBG. Subgroup analyses showed significant heterogeneity for androstenedione by cancer stage, with a significant inverse association of androstenedione concentration and risk for advanced prostate cancer. There were also weak positive associations between free testosterone concentration and risk for total prostate cancer among younger men and risk for high-grade disease. In summary, in this large nested case-control study, concentrations of circulating androgens or SHBG were not strongly associated with risk for total prostate cancer. However, our findings are compatible with a positive association of free testosterone with risk in younger men and possible heterogeneity in the association with androstenedione concentration by stage of disease; these findings warrant further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research UK Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. ruth.travis@ceu.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ruth C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Travis
authors.forename: Timothy J
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authors.lastname: Key
authors.forename: Naomi E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Paul N
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authors.lastname: Appleby
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Roddam
authors.forename: Sabina
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authors.lastname: Rinaldi
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authors.lastname: Egevad
authors.forename: Peter H
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authors.forename: Sabine
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authors.lastname: Rohrmann
authors.forename: Jakob
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authors.lastname: Linseisen
authors.forename: Tobias
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authors.forename: Heiner
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authors.lastname: Boeing
authors.forename: Nina Føns
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Johnsen
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tjønneland
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Overvad
authors.forename: Lambertus
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kiemeney
authors.forename: H Bas
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Bueno-de-Mesquita
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bingham
authors.forename: Kay-Tee
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Khaw
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tumino
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sieri
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vineis
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palli
authors.forename: José Ramón
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Quirós
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ardanaz
authors.forename: Maria-Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Chirlaque
authors.forename: Nerea
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Larrañaga
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Maria-José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trichopoulou
authors.forename: Chrysa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bikou
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trichopoulos
authors.forename: Pär
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stattin
authors.forename: Mazda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jenab
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Slimani
authors.forename: Elio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riboli
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaaks
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin