The Effect of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Flares on Serum Prostate Specific Antigen

Over one million adults in the U.S. are estimated to suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), accounting for more than 2 million ambulatory and emergency room visits annually. This healthcare utilization may lead to an average increase of $5,000-$8,000 in annual medical expenditure per patient. Reducing unnecessary medical interactions and expenditures in this patient group is paramount and requires individualized disease monitoring and healthcare screening

One screening test that may lead to additional exams and costs is the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test used to screen for prostate cancer. While PSA screening can reduce prostate cancer mortality, false-positive elevations are common, especially in the setting of non-malignant prostate inflammation. This research group recently reported in a large retrospective case-control series that after age 65, men with IBD who underwent prostate cancer screening at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) had higher serum PSA values than non-IBD controls. In addition, men with IBD had a significantly higher risk of clinically significant prostate cancer even when controlling for differences in PSA and other relevant covariates. However, whether the elevation in PSA is related to inflammation in these men with IBD versus a true reflection of an increased risk of prostate cancer is unclear. Furthermore, the interplay of IBD status and screening PSA values is currently unknown.

This study will measure PSA values in men with IBD before, during, and following a flare. In addition, the effect of any PSA increase will be analyzed and correlated to the location of disease (rectal vs. other). Study findings may help men with IBD by identifying pitfalls in prostate cancer screening for this population and help to stratify and understand the effect IBD has on the prostatic milieu. By optimizing how men with IBD are screened for prostate cancer, future unnecessary healthcare encounters and expenditures may be reduced for this patient group.