Urological Oncology

Abstract

Objectives: It has been hypothesized that dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the main intracellular androgen in the prostate, affects prostatic tumour progression. In this study, we evaluated serum DHT levels at the time of prostate-cancer diagnosis in relation to survival.at the time of diagnosis were determined through radio-immuno assay. Subjects were followed up through the nationwide tax register. Medical records of all dead subjects were reviewed, and cause of death was established by an endpoint committee. Data were analyzed through Kaplan-Meier estimation and Cox proportional-hazards regression. Results: Seventeen of 41 deaths in the cohort during follow-up were attributed to prostate cancer. Patients with of dying from causes other than prostate cancer. Conclusions: Although the prognostic value of DHT levels at diagnosis remains unclear, these results provides evidence of an association between low DHT and decreased survival in prostate cancer patients. Editorial CommentThe association of androgens and prostate cancer is still debated. This trial analyzes the relation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels and survival in prostate cancer patients. Testosterone is the principal androgen and the main intracellular androgen in the prostate is DHT. DHT arises from intracellular conversion of testosterone