Dyslipidaemia, acute kidney injury, and electrolyte imbalance as a predictor for prostate cancer

Introduction - Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men and is projected to increase to about half a million deaths by 2030. The burden of prostate cancer is bound to affect resource-poor regions, where treatment options are limited and low-cost community-wide screening is lacking. 

Aim - This study assessed and compared the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and electrolyte levels, kidney function, and lipid profiles of patients with prostate cancer to a control population.

Method - This case–control study involved 60 male participants (30 prostate cancer patients and 30 controls), aged 50–99 years, who were age-matched, with comparable mean ages (p = 0.4752) at Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Total PSA level was estimated using an immunoenzymometric method.  The electrolyte level was estimated using ion selection, and lipid profiles were estimated spectrophotometrically.

Result - Patients with prostate cancer had significantly higher serum PSA (p<0.001), creatinine (p<0.05), urea (p<0.05), chloride (p<0.05), bicarbonate (p<0.01), and total cholesterol (p<0.01) levels than those in the control group. There was a significant decrease in the HDL levels of participants with prostate cancer compared to the control. 

Conclusion - Patients with prostate cancer showed significantly elevated PSA levels, along with evidence of dyslipidaemia, impaired kidney function, and electrolyte imbalance compared with controls. These findings suggest that prostate cancer may be associated with alterations in lipid metabolism, renal function, and electrolyte homeostasis. Therefore, assessment of lipid profile, kidney function parameters, and electrolytes may provide useful supportive clinical information in the evaluation and monitoring of patients with suspected or confirmed prostate cancer, particularly in those with elevated PSA levels.