Objective: To test the hypothesis that factors causing morbidity and mortality from prostate cancer may operate in utero.
Design: Matched case-control study of singleton men born between 1874 and 1946 at one hospital.
Setting: Uppsala University Hospital.
Subjects: 250 patients with prostate cancer and 691 controls, including 80 patients who died from prostate cancer and their 196 matched controls.
Main outcome measures: Mother's age at menarche, parity, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia before delivery, age at delivery and socioeconomic status; case or control's birth length and weight, placental weight, prematurity derived from gestational age, and presence of jaundice.
Results: Both pre-eclampsia (odds ratio 0, 95% confidence interval 0 to 0.71) and prematurity (0.31, 0.09 to 1.04) were inversely associated with incidence of prostate cancer. Among subjects born full term, placental weight, birth weight, and ponderal index (weight/height 3) showed non-significant positive associations with prostate cancer incidence, and stronger associations with mortality.
Conclusion: Prenatal exposures that are likely correlates of pregnancy hormones and other growth factors are important in prostate carcinogenesis and influence the natural course as well as the occurrence of this cancer.