Serum prolactin and tumors of the prostate: unchanged basal levels and lack of correlation to serum testosterone

To investigate the possible role of circulatory levels of prolactin on the development of prostatic tumors, and to gain insight into the prolactin-androgen relationship, serum prolactin and testosterone were determined in 73 patients with newly diagnosed prostatic adenocarcinoma. Controls consisted of 32 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia before treatment, 19 age-matched controls, and 21 young individuals. Hormones were measured under standardized conditions by highly specific and sensitive radioimmunoassays. There was no difference in prolactin in the elderly men regardless of prostate pathology, but a significant increment was found in young controls. Individual prolactin values d…