title: Lower serum total testosterone is associated with lymph node metastases in a radical prostatectomy cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Data on testosterone levels of patients with prostate cancer of different grade and stage are inconsistent. We retrospectively investigated serum total testosterone of a radical prostatectomy cohort to further shed light on this problem.
  
  
  METHODS
  The preoperative level of serum total testosterone of 217 patients (mean age: 65±5.8 years) undergoing radical prostatectomy between 1989 and 2002 was analyzed for possible associations with Gleason score (≤6 vs. <7 vs. 8-10) and tumor stage (pT2 vs. pT3 vs. N+) with adjustment for age, diabetes and obesity. Patients exhibiting prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels of >10 ng/ml and biopsy Gleason scores of ≥7 were submitted to standard lymphadenectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The multivariate model revealed a significant effect of body mass index (BMI) (p=0.0003) and diabetes (p=0.002) on testosterone levels. Significantly lower testosterone levels were recorded in patients with nodal metastases (p<0.0001) compared to patients with non metastatic disease. No significant associations between testosterone, Gleason score and stage were found in patients with non- metastatic disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Testosterone levels prior to radical prostatectomy were lower in patients with nodal involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Allgemeines Krankenhaus, Wien 1090, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, Austria. christian.kratzik@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kratzik
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Womastek
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bieglmayer
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schatzl
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lackner
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Freibauer
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lunglmayr
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003710:Demography; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone