Role of hypercholesterolemia in prostate cancer--case control study from Manipal Teaching Hospital Pokhara, Nepal

The objective of this study was to appraise the role of hypercholesterolemia in prostate cancer among residents of Pokhara valley, Nepal.

A hospital based retrospective study was carried out using data retrieved from the register maintained in the Department of Biochemistry of the Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal between 1st January, 2009, and 31st December, 2010. Descriptive statistics and testing of hypothesis were used for the analysis using EPI INFO and SPSS 16 software.

Of the 1,200 subjects, 600 were cancer patients and 600 were controls. In the 600 cases, the mean age was 69.4 ± SD 10.2 years, with a preponderance in age group distribution between 65-69 years. The mean value of prostate specific antigen in cases (14.54 ± SD 12.32 ng/ml) was markedly raised as compared to controls (1 ± SD 0.52 ng/ml) (p=0.0001). The mean value of total cholesterol levels (237.9 ± 31.2 mg/dl) was also increased along with raised PSA levels in cases when compared with controls (184 ± 33.8 mg/dl) (p=0.0001). The percentage of cases with HDL normal limits (40 to 60 mg/dl) was 72% which did not show much variation when compared to 79% in controls. However, the percentage of cases with LDL borderline high (150-190 mg/dl) was 30% ands markedly increased when compared to the 5% in controls.

The identification of cholesterol as a vital module in signal transduction events in prostate cancer cells has not only bestowed us with new mechanistic insights but has also opened up new avenues for prostate cancer chemotherapeutic intervention.