Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the Risk of Prostate Cancer
Inflammation is a known cause of elevated PSA values and has been associated with higher rates of prostate cancer. A recent study looked at the correlation between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), PSA levels and prostate cancer risk.
The study included more than 10,000 patients who had undergone PSA testing at the same academic medical center. Approximately 1,000 of the patients had IBD.
Beginning at age 60, men with IBD had higher PSA values than men without IBD. The gap in PSA values between the two groups widened with age. In addition, patients with IBD had a higher overall risk of developing prostate cancer, as well as clinically-significant prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 7 or greater.
The study’s authors suggested that their findings warrant future investigation of IBD as a potential risk factor for prostate cancer.
Dr. Catalona was a co-author of the study, which was published as an abstract in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
