Journal of Clinical Oncology & Advanced Therapy
Open Access • Peer Reviewed • Quarterly Publication
Insulin like Growth Factor-1, Human Growth Hormone and Testosterone as Potential Biomarkers in Laboratory Diagnosis and Prognosis of African Blacks before and after Bilateral Orchidectomy: A Prospective longitudinal survey
Abstract
Introduction: Mortality is high in African men, who are at high risk for castrate resistant Prostate Cancer (PCa). Bilateral ochidectomy (BO) is the most preferred treatment option due to late presentation and advanced disease. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) has limited value in laboratory diagnosis of PCa. Elevated Insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), human growth hormone (hGH) and testosterone levels appear to increase PCa risk. The importance of IGF-I in the early detection of PCa has been suggested and is therefore investigated in this study.
Methods: 142 male participants aged 50-90 years were enrolled into this prospective cohort study in the Urological Clinic of a teaching hospital in Ibadan and environs. PCa (n=53) group was age matched with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH, n=45) and Control (apparently healthy men, n=44) groups. PCa and BPH were diagnosed histologically while BO was performed among PCa group only (BOP, n=22). Serum obtained from fasting blood (5mL) was obtained for HGH, IGF-1, testosterone and PSA estimation by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. All indices were assessed at baseline and 12 months after BO in BOP only. Data analysed using Student’s t-test and multiple regression were considered significant at p˂0.05.
Results: The levels of PSA, hGH and IGF-1 were significantly higher in PCa than BPH and ControI groups (p˂0.05). Only PSA level was significantly elevated when BPH group was compared with Control (p<0.001). Testosterone levels were however, similar in all groups at baseline. After BO, testosterone and IGF-1 levels reduced while the PSA and hGH levels increased. At baseline, mortality (28%) observed in PCa group only was associated with increased hGH and reduced testosterone levels (p= 0.002, 0.025 respectively). There were also significantly positive relationships among PSA, IGF-1 and hGH (p=0.003).
Conclusion: IGF-1 may be considered as a better potential prognostic laboratory biomarker than hGH and testosterone in males with PCa.
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© 2026 The Author(s). Published by WM Journals.
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