title: Serum testosterone level as a predictor of biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  • To investigate serum testosterone levels as a predictor for biochemical failure (BF) after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP).
  
  
  METHODS
  • Prospective cohort study with 227 patients and a median follow-up of 7.7 years. • Total serum testosterone was measured at diagnosis. • Primary endpoint: 5-year BF-free survival defined as first PSA > 0.2 ng/mL. • Testosterone was tested as a predictor of BF as a dichotomized and continuous variable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  • Median (range) age was 62 years (45-74), median PSA 9.9 ng/mL (0.4-96), and median testosterone was 14 nmol/L (2.2-40). • BF occurred for 57 patients (26%) within 5 years. • In multivariate analysis with age, PSA, and biopsy Gleason score, testosterone levels >11 nmol/L were an independent predictor for reduced risk of BF (hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.90; P= 0.02). • When analyzed as a continuous variable, testosterone was not a statistically significant predictor of BF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Low pretreatment serum testosterone levels correlate with a higher risk of BF, and testosterone may possess biological information about prostate cancer progression potential, which makes it an independent predictor of biochemical failure after RRP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology and The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. andreasroder@gmail.com
authors.forename: Martin Andreas
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Røder
authors.forename: Ib Jarle
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Kasper D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gruschy
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brasso
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iversen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D013739:Testosterone; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen