Men with a history of prostatitis are at elevated risk of prostate cancer (PCa), according to a new study presented at the Canadian Urological Association annual meeting in Ottawa.

In a study of 1,884 PCa patients and 1,965 controls, Katharina Boehm, MD, of Martini-Klinik am Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany, and colleagues demonstrated that a history of prostatitis was associated with a significant 83% increased risk of PCa being found at biopsy. The investigators observed no increased risk of PCa associated with urethritis, orchitis, or epididymitis.

Among individuals with prostatitis, those without a history of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) had a nearly 3-fold increased risk of PCa, whereas those with a history of BPH had a significant 30% decreased risk.

In their study abstract, the researchers concluded that their findings “should be used in clinical risk stratification of individuals in whom the risk of PCa is pertinent.”

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