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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #217767
Title: The ratio of oleic-to-stearic acid in the prostate predicts biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer

Author
item KOSITSAWAT, JATUPOL - UNIV OF ILL., CHICAGO
item FLANIGAN, ROBERT - LOYOLA STRITCH SCH OF MED
item Meydani, Mohsen
item CHOI, YOUNG - UNIV OF ILL., CHICAGO
item FREEMAN, VINCENT - UNIV OF ILL., CHICAGO

Submitted to: Journal of Urology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/26/2007
Publication Date: 12/3/2007
Citation: Kositsawat, J., Flanigan, R.C., Meydani, M., Choi, Y.K., Freeman, V.L. 2007. The ratio of oleic-to-stearic acid in the prostate predicts biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer. Journal of Urology. 178(6):2391-96.

Interpretive Summary: Lifestyle effects on early stages of prostate cancer is of growing interest to health practitioners. Studies suggest that men who are obese are more likely than non-obese males to have more advanced tumors at the time of diagnosis and to experience relapse after primary chemical treatment. The issue is understanding the link between body fat and outcome of prostate cancer. A human study was done with 195 men scheduled for radical prostate surgery for localized tumors. Fatty acids were measure in the non-cancerous tissue collected during surgery. Analysis was done between the association of obesity and fatty acid concentrations in the prostate. During an average follow up of 56 months, rations between 2 specific fatty acids known as oleic and stearic acids predicted the risk of biochemical failure occurring within 2 to 5 years after treatment. Obesity associated failure occurred sooner, usually within 2 years. This might indicate a different pathway in the body’s functioning where treatment fails and thus implies different potential targets for post-surgery treatment in order to increase the success of treatment for localized prostate.

Technical Abstract: Our study examined lifestyle-related factors that may influence the prognosis of clinically localized prostate cancer, we evaluated the relative impact of obesity and prostatic fatty acid concentrations at diagnosis on risk of biochemical failure following radical prostatectomy. Height and weight were measured on 195 men scheduled for radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer. Fatty acids were measured in non-malignant prostate tissue collected at surgery. Biochemical failure (BF) was a detectable (greater or equal to 0.1 ng/ml) and rising serum prostate-specific antigen. Cox proportional hazards models and logistic regression, respectively, analyzed the association of obesity (BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2) and prostatic fatty acid concentrations with time-to-BF and relative odds of BF at different points in time. During an average follow-up of 56 months, the oleic-to-stearic acid ratio (O/S) predicted risk of BF (multivariable hazards ratio [HR] equal to 1.44, 95 percent confidence interval equal to [1.16, 1.78], P equal to 0.0009, per 1 standard deviation [SD] increase and 1.99 [1.07, 3.72], P equal to 0.031, O/S greater than 2 vs. less than or equal to 2). However, obesity associated with BF occurring within 2 years (multivariable odds ratio [OR] equal to 3.17 [1.08, 9.32], P equal to 0.036), whereas the O/S ratio associated with BF occurring between 2 and 5 years (OR equal to 2.36 [1.36, 4.11], P equal to 0.002, per 1 SD increase and 4.42 [1.26, 15.5], P equal to 0.021, O/S greater than 2 vs. less than or equal to 2). Obesity and prostatic fatty acid concentrations at diagnosis influence the risk of BF following surgery for clinically localized prostate cancer, but the impact of obesity may manifest earlier in the post-treatment course.