Hypercholesterolemia Is Associated with a Shorter Time to Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer in Patients Who Have Undergone Androgen Deprivation Therapy

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to investigate the association between hypercholesterolemia and the time required for progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in patients who have undergone androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from 154 patients with prostate cancer between 2005 and 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. ADT was employed as a treatment modality for these patients either due to multiple bone metastases at the time of diagnosis or due to old age in combination with other morbidities. Serum cholesterol levels and statin use were reviewed. We analyzed the factors associated with the development of CRPC after ADT treatment. The mean follow-up period was 34.8 months. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 71.3 years old and their mean prostate-specific antigen level was 141.8±212.6 ng/mL. Their mean cholesterol level was 175.9±37.7 mg/dL, and 14 patients (9.1%) were statin users. CRPC developed in 44 patients (28.6%), and the mean duration from ADT treatment to CRPC was 24.1 months. In a multivariate analysis, hypercholesterolemia was associated with the development of CRPC (hazard ratio [HR]=1.017, p<0.001), depending on clinical T stage (p=0.005) and the presence of bone metastasis (p<0.001). A subanalysis showed that hypercholesterolemia was associated with the development of CRPC in patients with bone metastasis (HR=1.032, p<0.001), but not in patients without bone metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Hypercholesterolemia may be associated with the development of CRPC after ADT in patients with bone metastasis. Further studies with longer follow-up periods and larger samples are needed to validate this finding.