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T HE RETROSPECTIVE COHORT analysis of more than 800 r a d i c a l p r o s t a t e c t o m y pat ient s who d id not use statins prior to surger y found a n association between elevated serum triglycerides a nd prostate ca ncer recurrence. For men w ith dyslip- idemia, increased cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were connected with higher or lower recurrence risk, respectively. "We have to remember that this is a n obser vationa l study a nd the findings need to be replicated, but it provides evidence that there might be a role for cholesterol in prostate cancer growth," says Emma Allott, PhD, postdoctoral associate at Duke University School of Medicine and lead author of the study, which was published in October 2014 in the jour- nal Cancer Epidemiolog y, Biomarkers & Prevention. Elevated triglycerides were con- nected w it h a 35 percent h igher recurrence risk. A nd a mong men with dyslipidemia, researchers found that each 10mg/dl increase in choles- terol was associated with a 9 percent higher risk for recurrence. For every 10mg/dl increase in HDL, the authors found a 39 percent decrease in risk for recurrence. A WE A P ON AGA INS T PROS TAT E C A NCER RECURRENCE ? By Michael Ferguson A RECENT STUDY HAS LED RESEARCHERS TO SPECULATE THAT ADDRESSING CHOLESTEROL LEVELS THROUGH STATIN USE AND LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION MAY REDUCE THE RISK OF PROSTATE CANCER RECURRENCE AFTER RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY. "Controlling lipid levels is important not only for cardiovascular disease prevention, but [as] this study suggests … it may also be important for prostate cancer [prevention]. We know that 45 percent of deaths worldwide are attributable to cardiovascular disease and cancer, and we know that prostate cancer is one of the most common causes of male cancer deaths in the United States and Western society. Understanding the role of dyslipidemia as a shared and modifi able risk factor for both of these common causes of mortality is important." — Emma Allott, PhD, postdoctoral associate at Duke University School of Medicine Cholesterol Control: Impact on Treatment P r o s t a t e c a n c e r r e c u r r e n c e i s relatively common, occurring in as many as 30 percent of patients five or more years after surgery, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Yet outcomes among patients vary broadly. "A lot of those recurrences don't progress or metastasize," says Stephen Freedland, MD, Associate Professor of Urology at Duke University School of Medicine and an author of the study. "A rising prostate-specific antigen or a finding that [cancerous tissue] was left behind occurs in almost one-third of the patients." The study demonstrates the benefits of a more holistic approach to medical care following prostatectomy. While carefully monitoring for recurrence is essential, patients' overall health, diet a nd exercise regimens should also be considered as part of a com- prehensive prevention strateg y, the research suggests. Ongoing Research Allott's team is conducting mouse studies to assess the effect of lowering serum cholesterol levels on prostate can- cer. The goal is to more fully understand the biological mechanism behind the association between cholesterol levels and prostate cancer growth. ■ SPECIAL CLINICAL SECTION: MEN'S HEALTH 2 0 | Long Island MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M