IDIOPATHIC THROMBOEMBOLISM AS THE PRESENTING SIGN OF OCCULT PROSTATE-CANCER

Objectives. Idiopathic thromboembolism has been associated with occult neoplasia; however, very limited information exists regarding a man's risk of occult prostate cancer after an idiopathic thromboembolic eve nt. Methods. We performed a case-control study of 209 consecutive men diagnosed with prostate cancer over a 3-year period, with 550 men diag nosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) serving as control subje cts. Results. Men with idiopathic thromboembolism had a fivefold incre ased risk of prostate cancer compared with the BPH control group (risk ratio = 5.0, P = 0.002). The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progress ion-free survival was not adversely affected after an idiopathic throm boembolic event. Conclusions. Our data suggest that men with idiopathi c thromboembolism are at an increased risk for being diagnosed with pr ostate cancer. In men with idiopathic thromboembolism, attempts to dia gnose prostate cancer, including digital rectal examination and serum PSA, warrant consideration.