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Familial Risks in 317 000 Patients With Prostate Cancer in Relation to Metastases and Survival-Guiding Diagnostics

Hemminki, Kari LU ; Zitricky, Frantisek LU ; Sundquist, Kristina LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU ; Försti, Asta LU ; Hemminki, Akseli and Hemminki, Otto (2026) In European Urology Open Science 87. p.8-15
Abstract

Background: Swedish nationwide family and cancer data offer the largest global resource for study of familial cancer. We focus here on familial risks in prostate cancer (PC) with questions on risk in individuals from families of multiple affected members and association of familial risk with metastatic disease and survival. Methods: Familial relative risk of PC was estimated using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for second-generation men with a father or brother affected with PC, considering distinct groups by number and type of affected relatives. Results: Familial SIRs ranged from 2.22 (2 brothers with PC) to 11.5 (≥5 brothers with PC). The proportions of affected men increased from about 15% (2-case families) to 50% (≥5-case... (More)

Background: Swedish nationwide family and cancer data offer the largest global resource for study of familial cancer. We focus here on familial risks in prostate cancer (PC) with questions on risk in individuals from families of multiple affected members and association of familial risk with metastatic disease and survival. Methods: Familial relative risk of PC was estimated using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for second-generation men with a father or brother affected with PC, considering distinct groups by number and type of affected relatives. Results: Familial SIRs ranged from 2.22 (2 brothers with PC) to 11.5 (≥5 brothers with PC). The proportions of affected men increased from about 15% (2-case families) to 50% (≥5-case families). Age-incidence curves showed successively higher rates for men from multi-case families. Older patients with PC had the highest proportion of metastases at diagnosis, but in each age group, familial patients presented with a lower proportion of metastases compared with nonfamilial cases. Among brothers, the proportion of metastasis was higher in brothers first diagnosed compared with brothers with subsequent diagnosis. Survival in familial cases was better compared with nonfamilial cases among patients without metastases. Among such patients, brothers diagnosed first survived worse than subsequent brothers. Conclusions and clinical implications: The largest family study yet conducted on PC was based on 34 468 familial cases. Risk varied greatly by family constellations, emphasizing the need for a detailed family history at diagnosis as basis for clinical decision-making and genetic counseling. The reported high risks should encourage implementation of familial risk into schemes for PC screening. Patient summary: Patients with prostate cancer often have a relative who has prostate cancer. When PC is diagnosed, it is important that the patient reports a reliable history of relatives earlier diagnosed with PC. It may influence his treatment.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Age of onset, Early onset, Familial risk, Germline genetics, Heredity
in
European Urology Open Science
volume
87
pages
8 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:41908211
  • scopus:105033465324
ISSN
2666-1691
DOI
10.1016/j.euros.2026.03.006
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2026
id
45909f8e-005c-4a10-89e4-05565970247e
date added to LUP
2026-05-05 15:37:10
date last changed
2026-07-02 01:34:19
@article{45909f8e-005c-4a10-89e4-05565970247e,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Swedish nationwide family and cancer data offer the largest global resource for study of familial cancer. We focus here on familial risks in prostate cancer (PC) with questions on risk in individuals from families of multiple affected members and association of familial risk with metastatic disease and survival. Methods: Familial relative risk of PC was estimated using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for second-generation men with a father or brother affected with PC, considering distinct groups by number and type of affected relatives. Results: Familial SIRs ranged from 2.22 (2 brothers with PC) to 11.5 (≥5 brothers with PC). The proportions of affected men increased from about 15% (2-case families) to 50% (≥5-case families). Age-incidence curves showed successively higher rates for men from multi-case families. Older patients with PC had the highest proportion of metastases at diagnosis, but in each age group, familial patients presented with a lower proportion of metastases compared with nonfamilial cases. Among brothers, the proportion of metastasis was higher in brothers first diagnosed compared with brothers with subsequent diagnosis. Survival in familial cases was better compared with nonfamilial cases among patients without metastases. Among such patients, brothers diagnosed first survived worse than subsequent brothers. Conclusions and clinical implications: The largest family study yet conducted on PC was based on 34 468 familial cases. Risk varied greatly by family constellations, emphasizing the need for a detailed family history at diagnosis as basis for clinical decision-making and genetic counseling. The reported high risks should encourage implementation of familial risk into schemes for PC screening. Patient summary: Patients with prostate cancer often have a relative who has prostate cancer. When PC is diagnosed, it is important that the patient reports a reliable history of relatives earlier diagnosed with PC. It may influence his treatment.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hemminki, Kari and Zitricky, Frantisek and Sundquist, Kristina and Sundquist, Jan and Försti, Asta and Hemminki, Akseli and Hemminki, Otto}},
  issn         = {{2666-1691}},
  keywords     = {{Age of onset; Early onset; Familial risk; Germline genetics; Heredity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{8--15}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{European Urology Open Science}},
  title        = {{Familial Risks in 317 000 Patients With Prostate Cancer in Relation to Metastases and Survival-Guiding Diagnostics}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euros.2026.03.006}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.euros.2026.03.006}},
  volume       = {{87}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}