Hematologic Markers and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Prospective Analysis in UK Biobank

Risk factors for prostate cancer are not well understood. Red blood cell, platelet, and white blood cell indices may be markers of a range of exposures that might be related to prostate cancer risk. Therefore, we examined the associations of hematologic parameters with prostate cancer risk.

Complete blood count data from 209,686 male UK Biobank participants who were free from cancer at study baseline were analyzed. Participants were followed up via data linkage. After a mean follow-up of 6.8 years, 5,723 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 323 men died from prostate cancer. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression was used to estimate adjusted HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for prostate cancer incidence and mortality by hematologic parameters, and corrected for regression dilution bias.

Higher red blood cell (HR per 1 SD increase = 1.09, 95% CI, 1.05-1.13) and platelet counts (HR = 1.07, 1.04-1.11) were associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Higher mean corpuscular volume (HR = 0.90, 0.87-0.93), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (HR = 0.90, 0.87-0.93), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (HR = 0.87, 0.77-0.97), and mean sphered cell volume (HR = 0.91, 0.87-0.94) were associated with a lower prostate cancer risk. Higher white blood cell (HR = 1.14, 1.05-1.24) and neutrophil count (HR = 1.27, 1.09-1.48) were associated with prostate cancer mortality.

These associations of blood indices of prostate cancer risk and mortality may implicate shared common causes, including testosterone, nutrition, and inflammation/infection among several others in prostate cancer development and/or progression.

These associations provide insights into prostate cancer development and progression.