Background/aims: Patients being treated for prostate cancer (PCa) have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. However, whether PCa patients are inherently at a higher risk of colorectal neoplasms (CRNs) is unknown. We aimed to investigate the risk of CRNs in PCa patients.
Materials and methods: Patients who had been diagnosed with PCa at a tertiary medical center and had colonoscopy within 1 year of the PCa diagnosis were investigated. Patients were propensity-matched 1:2 by age and body mass index to asymptomatic control subjects who had undergone colonoscopy for routine health screening. CRN was defined as histological confirmation of an adenoma or adenocarcinoma component. Advanced CRN was defined as any of the following: 1) histological findings of high-grade dysplasia, 2) inclusion of villous features, 3) tumor ≥1 cm in size, or 4) presence of an adenocarcinoma. Risk factors for CRN and advanced CRN were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis.
Results: A total of 191 patients diagnosed with PCa had colonoscopies within 1 year of PCa diagnosis. Of these, 23 patients with a history of previous malignancy and seven with incomplete colonoscopies were excluded, leaving 161 patients in the PCa group. Although presence of PCa was not a significant risk factor for CRN by multivariate analysis, PCa was a significant risk factor for advanced CRN (odds ratio [OR] 3.300; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.766-6.167; P<0.001). Other significant risk factors for advanced CRN were age (OR 1.050; 95% CI 1.003-1.009; P=0.036) and body mass index (OR 1.205; 95% CI 1.067-1.361; P=0.003), whereas aspirin use (OR 0.414; 95% CI 0.173-0.990; P=0.047) was a preventive factor.
Conclusion: The risk of advanced CRN may be significantly increased in patients with PCa. Patients with PCa should have a colonoscopy at the time of PCa diagnosis.
Keywords: colonoscopy; colorectal adenoma and carcinoma; colorectal neoplasms; prostate cancer.