Family history of prostate cancer tied to increased probability of malignancies

USA: In a new study led by Matthew B. Clements, it was found that men with biopsy indications and a family history of prostate or breast cancer are more likely to develop high-grade prostate cancer, regardless of other risk factors. The findings of this study were published in the journal European Urology on 31st December 2021.

The general risk of high-grade prostate cancer in males with a cancer family history has been documented in the general population, but not in individuals chosen for a prostate biopsy in an international cohort. As a result, the goal of this study was to assess the probability of high-grade prostate cancer on biopsy based on a family history of cancer.

This was a multicenter study of males receiving prostate biopsy from 2006 to 2019, with 12 facilities in North America and Europe participating. All sites collected first-degree prostate cancer family histories; four also collected more extensive information on the number of afflicted relatives, second-degree relatives with prostate cancer, and breast cancer family history. The probabilities of having high-grade (Gleason grading group 2) prostate cancer was assessed using multivariable logistic regressions. Family history definitions, such as first- and second-degree prostate cancer and breast cancer family histories, were fit to separate models.

The key findings of this study were as follow:

1. For 15 799 males, a first-degree prostate cancer family history was available, with a more thorough family history available for 4617.

2. The adjusted odds of having high-grade prostate cancer were 1.77 times higher with first-degree prostate cancer, 1.38 with second-degree prostate cancer, and 1.30 with first-degree breast Interaction terms demonstrated that the influence of a family history varies dependent on age rather than prostate-specific antigen.

In conclusion, positive family history is regarded as a well-established risk factor for a variety of malignancies. When a first-degree relative is diagnosed with prostate cancer, the lifetime chance of developing the illness increases by two to triple.

Reference:

Matthew B. Clements, Emily A. Vertosick, Lourdes Guerrios-Rivera, Amanda M. De Hoedt, Javier Hernandez, Michael A. Liss, Robin J. Leach, Stephen J. Freedland, Alexander Haese, Francesco Montorsi, Stephen A. Boorjian, Cedric Poyet, Donna P. Ankerst, Andrew J. Vickers, Defining the Impact of Family History on Detection of High-grade Prostate Cancer in a Large Multi-institutional Cohort, European Urology, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2021.12.011.