Urinary Oestrogen Excretion in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostatic Cancer

Abstract

Urinary oestrogen excretion was measured in 20 healthy middle-aged men (controls), in 30 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and in 32 prostatic cancer (PC) patients. The mean oestradiol (E2) excretion was significantly lower in the PC patients than in the controls and BPH patients. No other significant differences were found in oestrone (E1), oestriol (E3) and total oestrogen (E1 + E2 + E3) excretion between the 3 groups. The decreased E2 excretion in the PC patients is in accordance with our previous finding concerning significantly lower E2 plasma levels in PC patients. It seems possible that elderly men with lower endogenous oestrogen levels are at higher risk of developing cancer. On the other hand, the age-dependent increased oestrogen levels may play an aetiological role in BPH.

Pretreatment plasma testosterone and estradiol levels in patients with locally advanced or metastasized prostatic cancer

“…We observed earlier that plasma E2 concentration and urinary estrogen excretion were significantly higher in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia than in prostatic cancer patients, and we suggested that elderly men with low estrogen levels are at a higher risk of developing prostatic carcinoma [44,45]. Also, this difference in estrogen levels may be partly explained by the poorer general condition of prostatic cancer patients.…”