Association of urinary phytoestrogen concentrations with serum concentrations of prostate-specific antigen in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Some clinical trials have shown that high phytoestrogen intake may decrease serum concentrations of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and phytoestrogens may also lower prostate cancer risk. It was the aim of this study to examine the relationship between the serum PSA level and urine phytoestrogen concentration in generally healthy U.S. men. Eight hundred twenty-four men, 40+ yr old without prostate cancer, who participated in the 2001-2004 NHANES surveys, were included in the analysis. The association of total PSA, free PSA, and PSA ratio [free PSA/total PSA * 100] with concentrations of isoflavones and lignans (standardized for urinary creatinine concentration) was examined using multivariable-adjusted linear and logistic regression models. The linear regression analyses showed no clear association between creatinine-standardized urinary phytoestrogen concentrations and serum total or free PSA levels or PSA ratio. However, the odds of having a PSA ratio <15% rose from Quartile 1 to Quartile 4 of isoflavone excretion (odds ratio = 2.82, 95% confidence interval 1.28-6.22 for top vs. bottom quartile), but there were no associations with having a PSA ratio <25%. In generally healthy U.S. men, 40+ yr old without a diagnosis of prostate cancer, urinary isoflavone, and lignan concentrations were not associated with serum PSA level.

Risk adapted chemoprevention for prostate cancer: an option?

A high disease prevalence, the presentation in older age, a frequently slowly progressing course of disease, and high costs make diagnosis and therapy of prostate cancer a special challenge for urologists. Effective prevention of the disease may help to resolve some of the problems mentioned above. Two randomised, controlled studies prove that effective chemoprevention of prostate cancer is possible using 5-α reductase inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride) (LoE 1) both in individuals at low and those at high risk developing prostate cancer. Furthermore, there is evidence that other compounds, e.g. selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and statins might also be effective. This review investigates potential risks and benefits of chemoprevention including a consideration of health economic aspects. The authors conclude that chemoprevention in a high risk cohort using 5-α reductase inhibitors is a viable option and may even be cost effective. In consequence, the options of chemoprevention in prostate cancer should be further explored in an open and unbiased way.

Contribution of genetic variation rs266882 to prostate-specific antigen levels in healthy controls with serum PSA below 2.0 ng/ml

We evaluated the impact of genetic variation in the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) gene (rs266882) on serum PSA levels in healthy men as well as risk factors for benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) and prostate cancer. The study population comprised 91 men with PSA levels below 2.0 ng/ml as healthy controls, 78 men with PSA 2-10 ng/ml as a BPH group, and 128 prostate cancer patients, all in Korea. DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and the product was sequenced. We found that PSA levels were associated with a G/A polymorphism only in healthy controls. The transition, however, was not associated with PSA levels of BPH and cancer patients, nor was it a risk factor. In conclusion, this genetic factor is important for determining serum PSA levels in the naive group, whereas the disruption of prostatic architecture in BPH or prostate cancer may be a major determining factor for PSA levels.