BRCA & Testosterone [T].

[pjoshea13]

New Israeli study below [1].

The authors seem to have set out with the retro hypothesis that maybe BRCA men get aggressive PCa because their testosterone levels are too high?

BRCA refers to the "breast cancer genes" BRCA1 & BRCA2. Hereditary mutations increase the risk of BCa in both women & men, & PCa in men.

"Overall 87 male carriers and 43 non-carriers aged 40-70 were prospectively enrolled. Clinical data were collected and all patients were tested for total testosterone (TT), prostate specific antigen (PSA), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), free androgen index (FAI), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and prolactin"

"... mean {total testosterone} and {free androgen index} were higher in the carriers (16.7 nmol/l vs 13.5 nmol/l ... and 39.5 vs 34.8 .., respectively), while prolactin was significantly lower."

Interesting - but what is the significance? The BRCA genes are tumor suppressor genes. If they are mutated, the chances of BCa & PCa go up. Does higher T contribute to the risk? Do women with BRCA mutations have a different T/prolactin profile than women without?

Prolactin is the milk hormone, but is present in men.

"Elevated levels of prolactin decrease the levels of sex hormones — estrogen in women and testosterone in men." [2]

-Patrick

[1] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/292...

Oncotarget. 2017 Oct 10;8(61):103843-103850. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.21802. eCollection 2017 Nov 28.

Is there a difference in testosterone levels and its regulators in men carrying BRCA mutations?

Goldberg H1, Grievink LS1, Mano R1, Ber Y1, Ozalbo R1, Tuval S1, Baniel J1, Margel D1.

Author information

1

Division of Urology, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva and The Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Male BRCA mutation carriers are at risk for an early onset aggressive prostate cancer. No data exist on the association of testosterone levels among these patients. We aimed to analyze testosterone and associated hormonal levels among male BRCA carriers and non-carriers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Overall 87 male carriers and 43 non-carriers aged 40-70 were prospectively enrolled. Clinical data were collected and all patients were tested for total testosterone (TT), prostate specific antigen (PSA), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), free androgen index (FAI), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and prolactin. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to predict TT levels.

RESULTS:

The median age, mean BMI, comorbidities, PSA, FSH, LH and SHBG levels in both groups were similar. However, mean TT and FAI were higher in the carriers (16.7 nmol/l vs 13.5 nmol/l, p=0.03 and 39.5 vs 34.8, p=0.05, respectively), while prolactin was significantly lower. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that while BMI was inversely correlated to TT levels in both groups, LH was a predictor only in non-carriers.

CONCLUSIONS:

Carriers have higher TT and FAI levels and lower prolactin levels; but LH does not predict their TT levels. Further research in a larger cohort of BRCA carriers with and without prostate cancer should be performed.

KEYWORDS:

BRCA mutations; free androgen index; luteinizing hormone; prostate cancer; testosterone

PMID: 29262604 PMCID: PMC5732770 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21802

...

[2] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prola...

[BigRich]

Last month, my test stated no mutations for BRCA1 and BRCA2. Thank he Lord.

Rich

[WendyL]

There may be other pathways and diseases affected by BRCA mutations (Parkinson’s is one being studied), but there are also likely many other mutations: I have first and second cousins with very young initial breast cancer diagnoses, my younger sister died of breast cancer very young, and I’ve had premenopausal LCIS — and, despite being of Eastern European Ashkenazi descent (high risk for the mutation), we are/were all BRCA negative. It’s really important to have good genetic counseling to understand what it all means.