Prostatic Inflammation Protects Against Prostate Cancer

July 2013, Vol 4, No 6

Niagara Falls, Ontario—New data presented at the 2013 Canadian Urological Association annual meeting suggest that prostatic inflammation can reduce the risk for developing prostate cancer.

J. Curtis Nickel, MD, Professor, Department of Urology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, and colleagues retrospectively analyzed data from 6269 men who were included in a randomized controlled trial of dutasteride (Avodart) and who had a negative baseline prostate cancer biopsy. Men who had acute inflammation in the baseline biopsy had a 25% lower risk for developing prostate cancer within 2 years, and those with chronic inflammation at baseline biopsy had a 35% reduction in risk.

The data came from the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) study.

Men who had acute inflammation in the baseline biopsy were significantly younger, had lower PSA levels, and had smaller prostates than men without baseline acute inflammation. Men with chronic inflammation at baseline were older and had larger prostate volumes than those who did not have baseline chronic inflammation.

The univariable analysis indicated that acute inflammation and chronic inflammation independently reduced the risk for a cancer-positive diagnosis based on a repeated biopsy. The multivariable analysis showed that there was a 25% reduction in cancer risk in men with acute inflammation at baseline and a 35% lower risk in men with baseline chronic inflammation.

Dr Nickel noted that he and his colleagues did not have access to previous biopsies for the study participants, and, therefore, it is impossible to tell whether earlier inflammation had an influence on having a cancer-positive biopsy at baseline.

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