Authors : Julius O Akhaine; Venyir M Ramyil; Nuhu K Dakum; Christian O Isichei; Samaila I Shuaibu; Chimaobi G Ofoha
Volume/Issue : Volume 8 - 2023, Issue 9 - September
Google Scholar : https://bit.ly/3TmGbDi
Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/27xyds4u
DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8383265
Background
Cancer of the prostate (CaP) is the second most
commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and the sixth
leading cause of death from cancer in males. . Black men
of African descent have higher risk for developing prostate
cancer and are most likely to present at a younger age
with more advanced disease and a poorer disease
prognosis.
Objective
To determine if there is a relationship between the
level of serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D and aggressiveness of
prostate cancer using the Gleason score in black Africans
in Jos.
Methods
A cross sectional study conducted among fifty
patients presenting at the urological surgical out-patient
clinics of the Jos University Teaching Hospital who were
evaluated to have a clinical diagnosis of prostate cancer
and scheduled for prostate biopsy. Blood samples for
serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D were assayed using the
ELISA technique, prostate biopsy was done and only those
histologically confirmed to be prostate cancer were
analysed. Data was collected using a proforma with
statistical analysis done using SPSS(R) version 23 and
Spearman’s rank correlation test used with a p-value <
0.05 considered significant.
Results
Fifty patients with histologically proven prostate
cancer was studied whose age ranged from 50-89 years
with a predominant age group 70-79 years (70.0±7.9).The
mean level of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D was
37.90ng/ml±17.92. All patients in the study had
adenocarcinoma as the histologic type with a mean
Gleason score of 9.36±13.14. A Spearman’s rank order
correlation was statistically significant (rs (50) = -0.423, p =
0.002).
Conclusion
A Spearman’s rank order correlation shows a
moderate negative correlation between the serum 25-
hydroxy vitamin D and Gleason score (rs (50) = -0.423, p =
0.002.Thus, serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D assay can be used
to prognosticate in patients with cancer of the prostate.
Keywords : Serum 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D, Prostate Cancer, Gleason Score