Adverse histological features are more commonly observed in hypergonadotropic prostate cancer patients

Some patients with prostate cancer have elevated gonadotropin levels. It is unknown, however, whether this condition directly influences carcinogenesis in the prostate. It is also unknown whether any specific hormone levels are useful to predict aggressive disease. The potential role of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in prostate physiology is widely discussed. The study aimed to evaluate whether patients with this endocrine pattern have different outcomes following radical prostatectomy.

This was a prospective cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at the Andrology and Urology Department, National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology named after Academician V.I. Kulakov (Moscow) from September to December 2023. After applying exclusion criteria, 60 patients were included and stratified into a hypergonadotropic cohort (upper tertile for LH and FSH; n = 14) and a control cohort (n = 46). Primary outcome was adverse histology defined as ISUP grade ≥ 3 on final pathology.

10 of 14 hypergonadotropic patients (71.4%) and 15 of 46 patients in the control cohort (32.6%) had ISUP grade ≥ 3, and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.014). The rate of T3 disease on pathology was 42.9% and 32.6% in hypergonadotropic patients and the control cohort, respectively (p = 0.532). No significant correlation was found between PSA and gonadotropin levels.

Patients with prostate cancer may have elevated gonadotropin levels, potentially predicting aggressive disease. If validated, these findings could influence clinical decision-making in prostate cancer based on LH and FSH levels.