Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is widely used for screening and diagnosis of prostate cancer (CaP). Variation in PSA levels is influenced by age, genetics and other factors, yet this variation has not been well characterized in African men. METHODS: We used data on serum PSA extracted from medical records from prostate cancer cases and controls collected as part of the Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate (MADCaP) network. We evaluate the association of PSA levels with country of origin, age, body mass index (BMI), and polygenic risk score (PRS). RESULTS: The median PSA levels were 41.8 (0.2-9696) ng/ml in 1,907 prostate cancer cases and 1.235 (0.01-9.72) ng/ml in 902 controls. Higher PSA levels were associated with increasing age, lower BMI, higher Gleason Score, and more advanced tumor stage in cases, explaining approximately 35% of variation in log-transformed PSA levels. In controls, 4.8% of PSA variation was explained by age. CONCLUSION: Our data in African men are consistent with non-African studies that report PSA levels increase with age, inversely with BMI (suggesting a PSA dilution effect or reverse causation), and with more aggressive disease in cases. These data may be used to help understand PSA distributions and in the future may guide screening practices in African men.
Source: JNCI Cancer Spectrum
Authors: Eunsoo Cho, Ilir Agalliu, Thomas Rohan, Alfred I Neugut, Shakuntala Baichoo, Ianne Holanda Lauder, Akkshaya Rajesh, Hafees Ajibola, Oseremen Aisuodionoe-Shadrach, Pedro W Fernandez, Abraham C van Wyk, James E Mensah, Andrew Anthony Adjei, Afua O D Abrahams, Marjorie Ntiwa Quarchie, Akindele Olupelumi Adebiyi, Sikiru Adekola Adebayo, Olufemi Ogunbiyi, Mohamed Jalloh, Nana Yaa Snyper, Ben Adusei, Joseph Lachance, Timothy R Rebbeck
Institutions: Harvard University, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, University of Mauritius, Georgia Institute of Technology, National Health Laboratory Service, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg Hospital, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, University of Abuja, University of Ghana, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, 37 Military Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Urology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,050
Funder: National Cancer Institute
OpenAlex ID: W7225393388