Private MD News

Men with prostate cancer are more likely to have healthy bones

Category: Prostate

PSA testing may predict more than a man's risk for developing prostate cancer. A new study has found that men who are free of the cancer are more likely to develop low bone mineral content (BMC), which many contribute to fragile bones, fractures and osteoporosis.

A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins University tracked the medical records of 519 healthy men for a period of up to 35 years. A total of 76 of these men developed prostate cancer during the course of the study. The team discovered that these men were significantly less likely to have low BMC.

Stacy Loeb, who led the investigation, said that the seemingly counterintuitive relationship between prostate cancer and bone health could have to do with the manner in which the cancer spreads to other areas of the body, particularly the bones.

"It is well known that prostate cancer frequently metastasizes (spreads) to bone," she said. "Our findings suggest that common growth factors might be involved in both bone maintenance and the progression of prostate cancer."

She added that more research would be needed to determine the exact biology underlying the relationship.