High Testosterone Preoperative Plasma Levels Independently Predict Biopsy Gleason Score Upgrading in Men with Prostate Cancer Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy

Abstract

Purpose: The study aims to investigate the potential associations between preoperative plasma levels of total testosterone (TT) and biopsy Gleason score (bGS) upgrading in prostate cancer (PCA) patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP).

Materials and methods: Exclusion criteria were treatment with 5α-reductase inhibitors, LH-releasing hormone analogues or testosterone replacement. Criteria of bGS upgrading were as follows: (i) bGS 6 to pathological Gleason score (pGS) >6, (ii) bGS 7 with pattern 3 + 4 to pGS 7 with pattern 4 + 3 or to pGS >7, (iii) bGS 7 with pattern 4 + 3 to pGS >7. Patients who showed bGS >7 were excluded from the cohort.

Results: The study included 209 patients. Tumor upgrading was assessed in 76 (36.4%) cases of the entire cohort, in 51 out of 130 cases (39.2%) of the bGS 6 group and 25 out of 79 patients (31.6%) in the bGS 7 cluster. Logistic regression models showed that independent clinical covariates predicting the risk of bGS upgrading included TT (OR 1.058; p = 0.027) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density (OR 23.3; p = 0.008) as well as TT (OR 1.057; p = 0.029) with PSA (OR 1.061; p = 0.023). The model suggests that 1 unit increase in TT plasma levels increases the odds of bGS upgrading by 5.8 or 5.7%.

Conclusions: In summary, we have determined that high TT preoperative plasma levels independently predict bGS upgrading in men with PCA undergoing RP. Preoperative plasma levels of TT might be included as a potential marker for assessing the risk bGS upgrading.