Sexually Transmitted Infections in Prostate Cancer: A Prospective Multicenter Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Chronic inflammation and infections are linked to prostate cancer (PCa) pathogenesis.
• The relationship between sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and PCa is not definitively established.
• Research is needed to clarify the role of STIs in PCa development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence of STI-related pathogens in patients diagnosed with PCa.
• To compare the prevalence of STI pathogens in PCa patients versus a control group.
• To determine if STIs are associated with prostate cancer incidence.

Main Methods:

• A prospective multicenter study included 239 male patients with suspected PCa.
• Histologically confirmed PCa in 176 patients; 63 served as controls.
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect a wide range of STI pathogens in urine, swabs, and prostate biopsies.

Main Results:

• A total of 717 samples were analyzed.
• STI pathogen detection frequency was low across all sample types.
• Mycoplasma genitalium was the most common pathogen detected, primarily in prostate biopsies. No significant association with PCa was found.

Conclusions:

• No statistically significant association was identified between STIs and PCa.
• The low prevalence of detected STI pathogens suggests a limited role in prostate carcinogenesis.
• Future research should explore the role of the urinary and prostatic microbiome in chronic inflammation.