Cancer of the prostate: Early diagnosis by zinc and hormone analysis?

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Abstract
Zn, testosterone [T] and dihydrotestosterone [DHT] concentrations were measured in normal prostatic tissue and in specimens obtained from untreated patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and carcinoma of the prostate (CaP). The metal-androgen relationship was examined and related to the pathological condition of the patients. Discriminant analysis combining the hormonal data into a single variable is apparently a reliable test for distinguishing between BPH and CaP patients. The high Zn values found in BPH specimens were always associated with a DTH:T ratio > 1. Androgen tissue ratios < 1 were characteristic of all CaP specimens and these were usually preceded by a reduction in prostatic Zn concentration. Since these patterns, particularly those associated with neoplasia, precede the clinical manifestations, they may be used as an index for predicting the onset of carcinoma in the prostate gland. They also may be of value in monitoring the progress of the disease.