Prostate cancer in patients with Hansens disease

ABSTRACT

Hansen's disease causes testicular failure secondarily, and because of this, it has been considered that prostate cancer would not be found in association. Three of 14 patients with chronic leprosy in Suruga National Sanatorium Hansen's Disease Hospital were found to have prostate cancer. A 72-year-old with lepromatous leprosy was diagnosed with stage T3a prostate cancer and treated with radical prostatectomy after hormonal therapy, plus irradiation. An 80-year-old with lepromatous leprosy was diagnosed with stage T2 prostate cancer and treated with irradiation and follow up only without hormone therapy and surgery because of his low testosterone level and old age. An 82-year-old with borderline leprosy was diagnosed with stage T1c prostate cancer and because of the pathological finding of low Gleason score and his old age, he was treated with hormonal therapy only. Two of the three cases had elevated concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, which suggests that their prostatic cancers might have been equivalent to be under the influence of hormone therapy. Therefore, in aged male patients with Hansen's disease, the follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone concentrations should be measured, as well as that of prostate-specific antigen, and a prostate biopsy should be also considered if the prostate-specific antigen concentration is increased, even with hypogonadism.