Background: We investigated whether a new marker of bone turnover, pyridinoline cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), could be useful in the assessment of bone metastasis and in monitoring of the response to treatment in patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis.
Methods: In all, 58 patients with prostate cancer (25 with bone metastasis and 33 without bone metastasis) and 52 patients with benign prostate hypertrophy who were treated between June 1994-August 1997 were included in this study. All patients were newly diagnosed.
Results: Serum ICTP levels in patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis were significantly higher than those in patients with prostate cancer without bone metastasis (P<0.0001) or with benign prostate hypertrophy (P<0.0001). No significant differences were observed in serum ICTP levels between patients with prostate cancer without bone metastasis and those with benign prostate hypertrophy. Serum ICTP levels correlated significantly with Soloway's grading system for bone scans. Serum ICTP levels in patients with bone metastasis showed a significant downward trend in response to hormonal treatment.
Conclusions: The determination of serum ICTP levels is useful in the assessment of bone metastasis and in monitoring the response of bone metastasis to treatment to prostate cancer.