Issue: March 2012
March 01, 2012
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REDUCE: CAD a potential risk factor for prostate cancer

Thomas JA. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2012;doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-11-1017.

Issue: March 2012

A secondary analysis of 4-year results from the REDUCE trial showed that men with coronary artery disease had a 35% increased risk for prostate cancer.

“What’s good for the heart may be good for the prostate,” Jean-Alfred Thomas II, MD, a postdoctoral fellow in the division of urology at Duke University School of Medicine, said in a press release. “We don’t have a good grasp on what’s causing the link, but we are observing this association.”

In REDUCE, a multicenter, double blind, placebo-controlled study, men (n=8,122) at elevated risk for prostate cancer were assigned to 0.5 mg daily dutasteride (Avodart, GlaxoSmithKline). Eligible participants had a prostate-specific antigen of 2.5 ng/mL to 10 ng/mL and a negative biopsy within 6 months of enrollment.

There were 547 men in the study with a history of CAD. Those men tended to be older, heavier, more likely to have diabetes and have higher prostate-specific antigen and large prostate volumes. These men were also more likely to have hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and to have taken aspirin or a statin.

Multivariate analysis showed that CAD was associated with a 35% increased risk for prostate cancer (OR=1.35; 95% CI, 1.08-1.67). CAD was similarly associated with an elevated risk for low-grade prostate cancer (OR=1.34; 95% CI, 1.05-1.73) and high-grade disease (OR=1.34; 95% CI, 0.95-1.88).

After adjusting for potential confounders, men with CAD were 24% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at 2 years (OR=1.24; 95% CI, 0.96-1.59) and 73% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at 4 years (OR=1.73, 95% CI, 1.23-2.43).

Disclosure: Dr. Thomas and colleagues report no relevant financial disclosures.

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