Prevalence of prostate cancer in patients with chronic spinal cord injury.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of prostate cancer in patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), with regard to the duration, level, and severity of injury.

Design: Retrospective chart review study.

Setting: Inpatient and outpatient Veterans Affairs spinal cord unit.

Participants: The electronic medical records of 350 veterans with chronic SCI and 344 veterans without SCI as a control group were reviewed.

Main Outcome Measure: Prevalence of prostate cancer in patients with chronic SCI with regard to the duration, level, and severity of injury.

Results: Of 350 veterans with chronic SCI, 7 individuals (2%) had prostate cancer. In comparison, of 344 age-matched veterans without SCI, 18 (5.2%) had prostate cancer. In SCI group with prostate cancer, 2 patients had motor complete injury (American Spinal Cord Injury Association Impairment Scale [AIS] A and B), and 5 patients had motor incomplete injury (AIS C, D, and E). Patients with SCI and with prostate cancer were slightly older (mean [SD] age, 72.14 ± 8.25 years) than the control group (mean [SD] age, 69.83 ± 8.79 years) with cancer.

Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate a lower prevalence of prostate cancer among veterans with chronic SCI in comparison with age-matched veterans without SCI. Given the small number of patients with SCI and with prostate cancer in this study, we did not find any statistically significant correlation between the prevalence of prostate cancer and the level, duration, and severity of injury.