A Family History of Lethal Prostate Cancer and Risk of Aggressive Prostate Cancer in Patients Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy

Impact of family history on clinicopathological variables and disease progression in Japanese prostate cancer patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated whether a first-degree family history (FH) of prostate cancer (PCa) in Japanese patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RP) is correlated with clinicopathological variables and disease progression.

METHODS

We reviewed consecutive 392 localized PCa patients undergoing robotic-assisted RP at our institution between 2015 and 2020. Information on FH was obtained via a self-administered questionnaire. A positive FH was defined as having a first-degree FH: a father and/or one or more brothers with PCa prior to diagnosis. All patients had clinically localized PCa treated by robotic-assisted RP. We evaluated the relationship between clinical characteristics, pathological findings, and biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS) according to first-degree FH status.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 20.8 months. FH was identified in 42 (10.7%) patients. Patients in the FH group (median, 64.8 years) were diagnosed at a significantly younger age than patients in the non-FH (NFH) group (patients without FH) (median, 67.7 years) (p = 0.003). The 5-year bPFS in the FH and NFH groups was 72.0% and 78.1%, respectively (p = 0.90). A subgroup analysis revealed a significant difference in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density between the FH group (median, 0.51 ng/ml/cm³ ) and the NFH group (median, 0.29 ng/ml/cm³ ) in patients younger than 60 years (p = 0.033).

CONCLUSIONS

In this RP population, FH of PCa was not associated with worse clinical characteristics, pathological findings, or disease progression. Patients with a FH underwent surgery at a significantly younger age, and among patients <60 years, patients with a FH had significantly higher PSA density compared with patients without a FH.

The role of fatal family history and mode of inheritance in prostate cancer for long-term outcomes following radical prostatectomy

Purpose

To determine whether fatal family history (FFH) or mode of inheritance in prostate cancer (PCa) has an impact on long-term outcomes following radical prostatectomy (RP).

Methods

1076 PCa patients after RP with at least one deceased first-degree relative with PCa were included and stratified by FFH (four subgroups: fraternal, paternal, multiple, and none) and by mode of inheritance (two subgroups: male to male, non-male to male). We compared clinicopathological characteristics between subgroups with Fisher’s exact or Chi-square tests. Biochemical recurrence-free survival (BRFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were analyzed using the method of Kaplan and Meier. Simple and multiple Cox regression with backward elimination were performed to select prognostic factors for BRFS and CSS.

Results

Median age at surgery was 63.3 (range 35.9–79.4) years. The overall Kaplan–Meier estimated BRFS rate at 10 and 15 years was 65.6% and 57.0%, respectively. The overall Kaplan–Meier estimated CSS rate at 10 and 15 years was 98.1% and 95.7%, respectively. Neither FFH nor mode of inheritance were factors associated with worse BRFS. However, in multiple Cox regression, paternal FFH was an important prognostic factor for a better CSS (HR 0.19, CI 0.05–0.71, p = 0.014) compared to non-FFH.

Conclusion

FFH and mode of inheritance do not seem to be prognostic factors of worse long-term outcomes following RP. Rather, a paternal FFH was associated with a better CSS; however, the reasons remain unclear. Nevertheless, patients after RP and FFH could be reassured that their own PCa diagnosis is not associated with a worse long-term outcome.

The association of family history of prostate cancer with the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer in Korean population

Purpose

The impact of family history on the diagnosis of the prostate cancer among Asian population remains controversial. We evaluated whether a positive family history of the prostate cancer in Korean men is associated with the diagnosis and aggressiveness of the prostate cancer.

Materials and Methods

Patients who underwent a transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy from March 2015 to September 2017 were evaluated. Information on family history was obtained via a self-administered questionnaire. The presence of prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer (Gleason score ≥7) was evaluated according to the presence of a family history.

Results

Of 602 patients (median age, 68.3 years; median prostate-specific antigen level, 6.28 ng/mL), 41 (6.8%) patients had a family history of prostate cancer. Family history was a significant factor for detecting prostate cancer (odds ratio [OR], 2.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.330-6.704; p=0.008). In multivariate analysis for predicting clinically significant prostate cancer, family history was a significant predictor (OR, 6.32; 95% CI; 2.790-14.298; p<0.001).

Conclusions

A family history of prostate cancer in Korean men was a significant factor for predicting prostate cancer. Moreover, significant differences in the aggressive features of the disease were identified between patients with and without a family history.

Prostate cancer screening-when to start and how to screen?

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening reduces prostate cancer (PCa) mortality; however such screening may lead to harm in terms of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Therefore, upfront shared decision making involving a discussion about pros and cons between a physician and a patient is crucial. Total PSA remains the most commonly used screening tool and is a strong predictor of future life-threatening PCa. Currently there is no strong consensus on the age at which to start PSA screening. Most guidelines recommend PSA screening to start no later than at age 55 and involve well-informed men in good health and a life expectancy of at least 10–15 years. Some suggest to start screening in early midlife for men with familial predisposition and men of African-American descent. Others suggest starting conversations at age 45 for all men. Re-screening intervals can be risk-stratified as guided by the man’s age, general health and PSA-value; longer intervals for those at lower risk and shorter intervals for those at higher risk. Overdiagnosis and unnecessary biopsies can be reduced using reflex tests. Magnetic resonance imaging in the pre-diagnostic setting holds promise in pilot studies and large-scale prospective studies are ongoing.

The impact of a family history of prostate cancer on the prognosis and features of the disease in Korea: results from a cross-sectional longitudinal pilot study

PURPOSE

Reports on the impact of a family history of prostate cancer among Asians are scarce. We evaluated whether a positive prostate cancer family history is associated with the prognosis and features of the disease.

METHODS

From January 2006 to December 2015, patients who received treatment for pathologically diagnosed prostate cancer were enrolled. Information on family history was obtained via self-administered questionnaires between January 2015 and December 2016. The overall survival rate for all patients and the rate of biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy were assessed according to the presence of family history.

RESULTS

Of 1266 patients (median age, 68.1 years; median prostate-specific antigen, 8.73 ng/mL; median follow-up, 40.0 months), 47 (3.8%) were identified as having a family history. Men with a family history had a younger age, higher proportion of cases diagnosed before 55 years of age, and lower stage than those without a family history. Family history was not a potential risk factor for overall survival. In an analysis of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (median prostate-specific antigen, 7.40 ng/mL; median follow-up, 40.5 months), no differences in pathologic characteristics were found between patients with (n = 39, 93.5%) and without (n = 567, 6.4%) a family history. Family history was not predictive of biochemical failure.

CONCLUSIONS

A family history of prostate cancer seemed to have no effect on prognosis and disease aggressiveness. However, this study proposed a rationale for performing earlier prostate-specific antigen testing in men with a family history of prostate cancer.

Identification and evaluation of clinically significant prostate cancer: a step towards personalized diagnosis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnostics are evolving rapidly. The quest to differentiate 'clinically significant' from 'clinically insignificant' disease has gathered momentum, leading to substantial change in traditional diagnostic approaches. Herein, we review the relevant information on currently available biomarkers and assess their ability to help physicians and patients in making a shared and personalized decision based on their individual risk of harbouring clinically significant disease.

RECENT FINDINGS

Serum, urine, tissue and imaging biomarkers have been evaluated to improve the identification of clinically significant disease, and this international effort has yielded promising, but not always consistent results. Changes in MRI technology have realized a quantum change, and this facility is now becoming more widely incorporated into diagnostic and disease risk-stratification protocols. However, standardization and further validation is required.

SUMMARY

Acceptance and widespread adoption of serum, urine and genetic markers is awaited, but novel and promising techniques alone and in combination have emerged. With validation and further focus, these may be adopted more widely.