Whether chronic inflammation mirrored by high levels of systemic inflammatory markers such as high sensitive‐CRP (hs‐CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC) are associated with prostate cancer development remains unclear. In the Prostate Cancer Study throughout Life (PROCA‐life), a prospective population‐based cohort study, 7,356 men were included. Prediagnostic WBC and hs‐CRP were assessed from blood collected at study entry; 2,210 participants also had a second CRP measure during follow‐up. During a mean 11.8 years follow‐up, 509 men developed prostate cancer (mean age at diagnosis 71.7 years). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to study whether individual biomarkers (WBC, hs‐CRP), a combined score based on analyte tertiles (score range 2–6), or change in CRP were associated with risk and severity of prostate cancer. We observed a positive dose–response relationship between hs‐CRP and prostate cancer risk with a Hazard Ratio (HR) per mg/l of 1.3, 95% CI 1.00–1.07. Men with an increase in hs‐CRP between two measurements (Δhs‐CRP) of ≥1.00 mg/l had a 36% increased risk of prostate cancer (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.02–1.82), compared to men with no change or decrease in hs‐CRP. Men with a systemic inflammatory score of 5 or 6 had a 68% higher risk of being diagnosed with metastatic disease (HR 1.68, 95% CI, 1.04–2.73) compared to men with lower scores. Our study supports that hs‐CRP including repeated measurements alone or in combination with WBC may be a useful inflammation‐related biomarker for prostate cancer risk and prognosis.

Background: Inflammation has been linked to prostate cancer and hypertension, but it remains equivocal whether elevated blood pressure (BP) influence prostate cancer risk and survival.Method: Using Cox regression models, we examined the association between prediagnostic BP and prostate cancer risk among 12,271 men participating in the Prostate Cancer throughout life (PROCA‐life) study. Systolic and diastolic BP were measured. A total of 811 men developed prostate cancer, and followed for additional 7.1 years, and we studied the association between prediagnostic BP and overall mortality among patients with prostate cancer.Results: Men (>45 years) with a systolic BP >150 mmHg had a 35% increased risk of prostate cancer compared with men with a normal systolic BP (150 mmHg had a 49% increased overall mortality compared with men with a normal systolic BP (HR 1.49, 1.06–2.01). Among patients with prostate cancer treated with curative intent, those with a high diastolic BP (>90 mmHg) had a threefold increase in overall mortality risk (HR 3.01, 95% CI 1.40–6.46) compared with patients with a normal diastolic BP (<80 mmHg).Conclusion: Our results support that systolic and diastolic BP are important factors when balancing disease management in patients with prostate cancer.

The role of miR-24-1-5p and its prognostic implications associated with prostate cancer are mainly unknown. In a population-based cohort, the Prostate Cancer Study throughout life (PROCA-life), all men had a general health examination at study entry and were followed between 1994 and 2016. Patients with available tissue samples after a prostatectomy with curative intent were identified (n = 189). The tissue expression of miR-24-1-5p in prostate cancer was examined by in situ hybridization (ISH) in tissue microarray (TMA) blocks by semi-quantitative scoring by two independent investigators. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to study the associations between miR-24-1-5p expression and prostate cancer recurrence. The prostate cancer patients had a median age of 65.0 years (range 47–75 years). The Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment Postsurgical Score, International Society of Urological Pathology grade group, and European Association of Urology Risk group were all significant prognostic factors for five-year recurrence-free survival (p < 0.001). Prostate cancer patients with a high miR-24-1-5p expression (≥1.57) in the tissue had a doubled risk of recurrence compared to patients with low expression (HR 1.99, 95% CI 1.13–3.51). Our study suggests that a high expression of miR-24-1-5p is associated with an increased risk of recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy, which points to the potential diagnostic and therapeutic value of detecting miR-24-1-5p in prostate cancer cases.

Prostate cancer (PCa) risk and the total cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden increases with age. The main objective was to evaluate the interplay between cardiac function and PCa risk and prognosis. In the population-based cohort Prostate Cancer Study throughout life (PROCA-life), 2514 men participating in the Tromsø Study (1994-2016) had echocardiographic examinations. Overall, 235 were diagnosed with PCa during follow-up. Cox proportional hazard models were used to study associations between prediagnostic cardiac function and PCa risk and mortality. Mean time from echocardiography to PCa was 9.9 years for men with high risk/metastatic PCa, and the 10-year survival rate was 78.3 % among high risk/metastatic PCa. Men aged > 60.3 years at study entry with mitral peak E deceleration time (DT) < 140 ms or DT > 220 ms had a 1.66-3.37 times higher probability of high risk/metastatic PCa compared with men with normal DT (140-220 ms). Among men who developed PCa, low or high DT was associated with higher overall mortality compared to men with normal DT (HR 3.35, 95% CI, 1.35-8.33 and HR 2.00, 95% CI, 1.28-3.14, respectively). DT > 220 ms was associated with 2 times higher PCa-specific mortality (HR 2.09, 95% CI, 1.11-3.94). Prediagnostic diastolic dysfunction may be associated with an increased risk of high risk/metastatic PCa, as well as higher overall mortality and PCa-specific mortality. These results support that cardiovascular follow-up among men with PCa is important.