Purpose: Evidence suggests that visceral fat quantity may be associated with post-prostatectomy outcomes and risk of prostate cancer related death. We evaluated whether increased fat volume, normalized to prostate size, is associated with decreased risk of disease progression.
Materials and methods: Patients enrolled on a prospective active surveillance trial for at least 6 months who had magnetic resonance imaging within 2 years of enrollment were eligible. The surveillance protocol included a standardized followup regimen consisting of biennial prostate specific antigen and examination and yearly biopsy. Clinicopathological characteristics were collected at baseline. Three fat measurements were taken using prostate magnetic resonance imaging, including subcutaneous, linear periprostatic (pubic symphysis to prostate) and volumetrically defined periprostatic. Progression was defined as increase in Gleason grade group. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate fat volumes normalized by prostate size (stratified into tertiles).
Results: A total of 175 patients were included in the study. Average age was 62.5 years (SD 7.4) and average prostate specific antigen was 5.4 ng/dl (SD 3.9). Median followup was 42 months (IQR 18-60) and 50 patients (28.6%) had progression. Compared to the lowest tertile, the highest tertile of volumetric periprostatic fat measurement (HR 2.63, 95% CI 1.23-5.60, p=0.01) and linear periprostatic fat measurement (HR 2.30, 95% CI 1.01-5.22, p=0.05) were associated with worsened progression-free survival, while subcutaneous fat measurement (p=0.97) was not. Importantly, the model did not substantively change when accounting for patient body mass index and other factors.
Conclusions: Increased periprostatic fat volume, normalized to prostate size, may be associated with shortened progression-free survival in men with prostate cancer on active surveillance.
Keywords: adipose tissue; disease progression; prostate; prostatic neoplasms.