Georgetown University Medical CenterProstate cancer is said to be a type of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. A study claims that an elevated level of one kind of estrogen in a man’s body could augment his danger of developing prostate cancer. This seems to be one astonishing conclusion from a new study which also apparently provides another novel discovery that high levels of the estrogen considered fuel for breast cancer could deliver a defensive advantage against prostate cancer.

The health of the prostate has presumably long been thought to be reliant on the level of the male hormones jointly called androgens. Nevertheless it is now believed to be known that estrogens and their metabolites seemed to play a function in its standard development as well as in prostate cancer.

Ourania Kosti, PhD, at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, commented, “The aim of our study was to evaluate the use of estrogen metabolites, as a marker for prostate cancer risk.”

For the study, the experts gauged estrogens and their metabolites in the urine gathered from roughly 77 men with prostate cancer, around 77 fit controls and approximately 37 men who experienced biopsy but were detected to be cancer-free. The comparative quantities of the 15 estrogens and estrogen metabolites in the urine of prostate cancer cases were said to be just like non-cancer patients with the exemption of the estrogen metabolite 4-OHE1.

Kosti quoted, “This particular estrogen metabolite appeared to be more abundant among men diagnosed with prostate cancer.”

Kosti noted her team also seemingly noted that the estrogen metabolites deemed as ‘dangerous’ estrogens in breast cancer (16-KE2 and 17-epiE3) are believed to be discharged in elevated quantities among those devoid of prostate cancer and in smaller quantities in those with prostate cancer.

Kosti remarked, “This suggests that these particular estrogens may have a protective role against prostate cancer development,”

Kosti further added that it is possible that different tissues respond to estrogens different ways, therefore the potential role of 16-KE2 and 17-epiE3 in prostate cancer prevention and management should be further explored.

The study would be presented at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010.