Timing of the Pubertal Growth Spurt and Prostate Cancer

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Oncology
• Human Biology

Background:

• Previous studies on pubertal timing and prostate cancer risk used unreliable self-reported data, yielding inconclusive results.
• Objective markers of pubertal timing are needed to accurately assess prostate cancer risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between age at peak height velocity (PHV), an objective measure of pubertal timing, and the risk of prostate cancer and high-risk prostate cancer.

Main Methods:

• A population-based cohort study of 31,971 men using height measurements to determine age at PHV.
• Outcomes (prostate cancer incidence) were tracked via national registers.
• Cox regression models analyzed hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) with follow-up starting at age 20.

Main Results:

• Men in the highest quintile of age at PHV (later pubertal timing) showed a reduced risk of prostate cancer (HR 0.83) and high-risk prostate cancer (HR 0.73).
• Exploratory analysis with follow-up from age at PHV indicated late pubertal timing was not associated with reduced risk.
• Later pubertal timing demonstrated an association with decreased risk for prostate cancer, particularly high-risk forms.

Conclusions:

• Later pubertal timing, as indicated by age at PHV, is associated with a lower risk of developing prostate cancer, especially high-risk types.
• The duration of exposure to adult sex steroid levels may play a role in prostate cancer risk.