CHICAGO, Apr 27, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Men with denser bones may be more
likely to develop prostate cancer, U.S. researchers suggest.
Johns Hopkins researchers said recent research suggests women with high bone
mineral density are at an increased risk of aggressive breast cancer. The
findings prompted Dr. Stacy Loeb of the Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine and colleagues at the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging to question
whether higher bone density was associated with an increased risk of developing
prostate cancer.
The researchers collected data on the bone mineral density of 519 men, measured
from 1973 to 1984. They then checked the data again to see which men were
eventually diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Loeb and colleagues found that the 76 men who went on to develop prostate cancer
had bone density that remained significantly higher as they aged, compared to
those who remained cancer free.
Although the reasons are unclear, Loeb speculates that growth factors in bone
may contribute to prostate cancer growth. Additionally, bone density may reflect
sex hormone levels in men, which can also affect prostate cancer development.
The findings are being presented at the American Urological Association annual
meeting, or the concurrent Engineering & Urology Society annual meeting in
Chicago.
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