Inflammation is 'a sign of lower prostate cancer risk'

Men that have signs of inflammation in their prostate could be at a lower risk of developing cancer. New research suggests that those men who show signs of inflammation during their initial prostate biopsies could be at a lower risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

A study, published in the journal 'Cancer', has revealed that inflammation in the prostate could "predict" the likelihood of developing prostate cancer. Scientists from the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New Hyde Park, New York, US, suggests that inflammation during initial biopsies should be reported due to its "predictive value".

While some previous research has also flagged up the possibility between prostate inflammation and a lower cancer risk, other studies have suggested that it is actually the medications used to reduce inflammation that results in a lower chance of developing prostate cancer. 

Within the new study, researchers looked at 6,238 men between the ages of 50 and 75. Each of the men had had previous prostate biopsies that were negative for prostate cancer. They also underwent further biopsies two and four years later. All of the men showed prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels between 2.5 and ten nanograms per millilitre.

The data showed that older men who had larger prostates were more likely to suffer from chronic inflammation. Younger men with low PSA levels and smaller prostates were more likely to suffer from acute inflammation. Those that had acute inflammation at baseline were 25 per cent less likely to develop the cancer, while those that suffered from chronic inflammation had a 35 per cent lower risk.

The biopsies that were taken two years after the initial examination found that 14 per cent (900 individuals) of the men had developed prostate cancer.

The researchers suggest that inflammation is linked to a lower chance of developing the cancer because it is a sign of an immune response to malignant cells. It is possible that inflammation is a sign that the body has eliminated these cells before they are able to become a tumour.