Prostate cancer is associated with the anogenital distance, a biomarker of prenatal androgen milieu.

• Published in: Archivos españoles de urología Vol. 72; no. 1; p. 9
• Main Authors: Oñate-Celdrán, Julián, Arense-Gonzalo, Julián J, Mendiola, Jaime, Samper-Mateo, Paula, Sánchez-Rodríguez, Carlos, García-Escudero, Damián, Torres-Roca, Marcos, Molina-Hernández, Olimpia, Adoamnei, Evdochia, Torres-Cantero, Alberto M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Spain 01-01-2019
• Subjects: Anal Canal - anatomy & histology; Androgens - physiology; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Prostatic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Scrotum - anatomy & histology; Cáncer de próstata; Andrógenos; Androgens; Distancia anogenital; Anogenital distance; Exposiciones prenatales; Prenatal exposures; Prostate cancer
• ISSN: 0004-0614

To evaluate the associationbetween anogenital distance (AGD), as a biomarker ofprenatal androgen milieu, and risk of prostate cancer(PCa).
A case-control study was conducted on260 men attending a university hospital where theyunderwent physical and andrological examination andcompleted a brief questionnaire. PCa patients were confirmedby biopsy of the tumor. Controls were men withoutPCa attending the urology outpatient clinic for routineexaminations. Two variants of AGD [from the anus to theposterior base of the scrotum (AGDAS) and to the cephaladinsertion of the penis (AGDAP)] were measured.Unconditional multiple logistic regression was used toestimate the association between AGD measurementsand presence of PCa, and Odds Ratios and 95% confidenceintervals (CI) were calculated.
Cases showed significantly shorter AGDAPand AGDAS than controls. Subjects with AGDAP andAGDAS in the lowest compared to the upper tertile were2.6 times (95% CI 1.2-5.6) and 3.2 times (95% CI 1.5-6.9) more likely to have PCa, respectively.
We found that shorter measurementsof both distances (AGDAS and AGDAP) were associatedwith higher risk of PCa. A previous study reportedsimilar results, showing that longer AGDAP was associatedwith lower risk of PCa, but this relationship was notfound for AGDAS, as it was in our study with a largersample size.