In a nutshell
The authors determined the significance of progesterone receptor in patients following prostate surgery.
Some background
Prostate surgery is a common treatment used in prostate cancer. It involves surgically removing the prostate gland. It is usually carried out in patients with early stage cancer (stage I/II). Hormones such as androgen or progesterone have been identified as being involved in the growth and spread of prostate cancer. Hormone levels can be analyzed to determine cancer spread within patients, which can help treatment diagnosis.
Further studies are needed to determine the role of progesterone receptor (a protein structure that binds to a specific substance) levels in prostate cancer.
Methods & findings
The authors aimed to determine the role of progesterone in prostate cancer progression.
535 patients were included in this study. All underwent prostate surgery. Median (midpoint) follow-up was 89 months.
32% of patients experienced biochemical failure. It is defined as the rise in prostate specific antigen (PSA – protein elevated in the blood when prostate cancer is present) following treatment. 7% of patients experienced clinical failure (return or progression of cancer following treatment). 3% of patients died from prostate cancer.
20% of patients had high progesterone receptor levels in their epithelial tissue. This tissue covers surfaces of organs and vessels. 23% of patients had high progesterone receptor levels in their connective tissue. This tissue connects organs and other tissues. Significantly higher progesterone receptor levels were found in connective tissues compared to epithelial tissues.
Patients who had increased progesterone receptor levels in their epithelial tissue had a 2.5 times greater risk of experiencing clinical failure. Patients with increased progesterone receptor levels in their connective tissue had a 2.1 times greater risk of experiencing clinical failure. No independent predicting factors were identified for biochemical recurrence or prostate cancer death.
The authors concluded that increased progesterone receptor levels in prostate cancer tumors increased the risk of clinical failure.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that increased progesterone receptor levels in prostate cancer tumors increased the risk of clinical failure.
The fine print
Further studies in this area are required for results to be widely applied.
Published By :
PLOS ONE
Date :
Feb 27, 2015
