Prostatitis Found to Increase Prostate Cancer Risk

Men with a history of prostatitis are at elevated risk of prostate cancer (PCa), according to a new study presented at the Canadian Urological Association annual meeting in Ottawa.

In a study of 1,884 PCa patients and 1,965 controls, Katharina Boehm, MD, of Martini-Klinik am Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany, and colleagues demonstrated that a history of prostatitis was associated with a significant 83% increased risk of PCa being found at biopsy. The investigators observed no increased risk of PCa associated with urethritis, orchitis, or epididymitis.

Among individuals with prostatitis, those without a history of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) had a nearly 3-fold increased risk of PCa, whereas those with a history of BPH had a significant 30% decreased risk.

In their study abstract, the researchers concluded that their findings “should be used in clinical risk stratification of individuals in whom the risk of PCa is pertinent.”

From the August 01, 2015 Issue of Renal and Urology News