Dataset Information

Baldness and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The association between male pattern baldness and prostate cancer has been inconsistent. We prospectively investigated the association between baldness at age 45 and prostate cancer risk in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), focusing on clinical and molecular markers. METHODS:Baldness was self-reported on the 1992 questionnaire using the modified Norwood-Hamilton scale prior to diagnosis. We estimated HRs between baldness and prostate cancer risk among 36,760 men, with follow-up through 2014. We also investigated whether baldness was associated with prostate cancer defined by tumor protein expression of androgen receptor and the presence of the TMPRSS2:ERG fusion. RESULTS:During 22 years, 5,157 prostate cancer cases were identified. Fifty-six percent of the men had either frontal or vertex baldness. No significant associations were found between baldness and prostate cancer risk. Among men younger than 60 years, there was a statistically significant association between frontal and severe vertex baldness and overall prostate cancer (HR: 1.74; 95% confidence interval: 1.23-2.48). Baldness was not significantly associated with expression of molecular subtypes defined by AR and TMPRSS2:ERG IHC of prostate tumors. CONCLUSIONS:This study showed no association between baldness at age 45 and prostate cancer risk, overall or for clinical or molecular markers. The association between baldness and overall prostate cancer among younger men is intriguing, but caution is warranted when interpreting this finding. IMPACT:The null findings from this large cohort study, together with previous literature's inconclusive findings across baldness patterns, suggest that baldness is not a consistent biomarker for prostate cancer risk or progression.

SUBMITTER: Khan S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7269836 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Baldness and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

Khan Saud S Caldwell Joshua J Wilson Kathryn M KM Gonzalez-Feliciano Amparo G AG Peisch Samuel S Pernar Claire H CH Graff Rebecca E RE Giovannucci Edward L EL Mucci Lorelei A LA Gerke Travis A TA Markt Sarah C SC

Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology 20200410 6

<h4>Background</h4>The association between male pattern baldness and prostate cancer has been inconsistent. We prospectively investigated the association between baldness at age 45 and prostate cancer risk in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), focusing on clinical and molecular markers.<h4>Methods</h4>Baldness was self-reported on the 1992 questionnaire using the modified Norwood-Hamilton scale prior to diagnosis. We estimated HRs between baldness and prostate cancer risk among 36, ...[more]

PMID: 32277004

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Project description:Current evidence of an association between body size and prostate cancer is conflicting, possibly due to differential effects of body size across the lifespan and the heterogeneity of the disease. We therefore examined childhood and adult body size in relation to total incident prostate cancer and prognostic subtypes in a prospective cohort of 47,491 US men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. We assessed adult height, body mass index (BMI) in early and middle-to-late adulthood, adult waist circumference, and body shape at age 10. With follow-up from 1986 to 2010, we estimated the relative risk (RR) of prostate cancer using Cox proportional hazards models. We identified 6,183 incident cases. Tallness was associated with increased risk of advanced-stage tumors, particularly fatal disease (RR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.23-2.23, highest vs. lowest quintile, ptrend < 0.001). High BMI at age 21 was inversely associated with total prostate cancer (RR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.80-0.98, BMI ? 26 vs. 20-21.9, ptrend = 0.01) and with fatal and advanced disease. The association for late adult BMI differed by age (pinteraction <?0.001); high BMI was inversely associated with total prostate cancer (RR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.51-0.78, BMI ? 30 vs. 21-22.9, ptrend <0.001) and with non-advanced and less aggressive tumors among men ? 65 years, whereas no association was seen among men >65 years. Adult waist circumference was weakly inversely associated with less aggressive disease. Childhood obesity was unclearly related to risk. Our study confirms tall men to be at increased risk of fatal and advanced prostate cancer. The influence of adiposity varies by prognostic disease subtype and by age. The relationship between body size and prostate cancer is complex. Body size changes progressively throughout life and consequent effects on prostate cancer risk may be associated with related changes in hormonal and metabolic pathways. This large prospective study examined potential associations between the risk of various prostate cancer subtypes and multiple anthropometric measures at different ages in men. Tallness was confirmed to be associated with an elevated risk of advanced prostate cancer, particularly fatal disease. The extent to which body weight influenced risk varied according to factors such as age and disease subtype.

Dataset Information

Baldness and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

Publications

Baldness and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

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