Journal of Surgical Oncology 9:289-291 (1977)
Blood Group Distribution in Prostatic Cancer Patients ...................................................................................... ...................................................................................... ZEW WAJSMAN, M.D., JACK SAROFF, Ph.D., and GERALD P. MURPHY, M.D., D.Sc. Blood group distribution in 264 Stage D relapsing patients from the National Prostatic Cancer Project was analyzed. No significant differences were found in distribution of blood groups in prostatic cancer patients as compared to the control population. This study does not support the observation of others of a relationship between blood group A and susceptibility to carcinoma of the prostate. Other patient groups may, however, be of value in searching for this relationship.
....................................................................................... ....................................................................................... Key words: cancer, prostate, blood group
INTRODUCTION For some time efforts have been made to establish a relationship between blood groups and the incidence of prostatic cancer. Some conflicting reports have been published (Bourke and Griffin, 1962; Wynder et al., 1971). In the present review an analysis of blood group distribution among 264 patients from the National Prostatic Cancer Project is reported and the literature reviewed. Since these patients were observed at five centers scattered throughout the United States, this afforded an opportunity t o review this problem in a more comprehensive manner.
METHODS Two hundred sixty-four patients with proven Stage D carcinoma of the prostate were studied. The results were compared to a control blood group distribution of the United States population (Hervey et al., 1951).
From Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York Coauthors in this study by The National Prostatic Cancer Project were: Douglas E. Johnson, M.D., M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston, Texas; William W. Scott, M.D., Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland; Robert P. Gibbons, M.D., Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington; George R. Prout, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; and Joseph D. Schmidt, M.D., University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa.
289
0 1977 Alan R. Liss, Inc., 150 F i f th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
290
Wajsman, Saroff, and Murphy
RESULTS
Of the 264 prostatic cancer patients, 35.98% had blood group A, while in the general population, 40.77% belong t o group A. There were 47.35% cancer patients with blood group 0 as compared to 45.55% in the control group, and 12.5% cancer patients with blood group B, compared t o 9.9% in the control group. There were 4.1 7% cancer patients with the AB group and 3.72% of this blood group in the controls. These results had no statistical significance (Table I). DISCUSSION Genetic determinants in neoplasia may be reflected by relationship with certain blood types. People of blood group A have been reported t o have increased susceptibility t o carcinoma of the stomach (Aird et al., 1953), uterine cancer (Helmbold, 1958), salivary gland tumors (Cameron, 1958), and carcinoma of the pancreas (Aird, 1960). Bourke and Griffin (1972) have analyzed the blood group distribution in benign hypertrophy and prostatic cancer patients. In the 224 patients studied by them, no significant association between benign prostatic hypertrophy and a specific blood group was found, although there was definite relationship reported between prostatic cancer and blood group A. The frequency of blood group A was 50.4% against the expected 42.4%. These authors also found that the patients of blood group A with prostatic cancer presented clinically at an earlier age when compared to those with other blood groups. Wynder, Mabuchi, and Whitmore (1 971) in contrast to previous reports, reported blood type distribution in prostatic cancer patients similar to that of the New York City population: 35% of the patients were group A, 47% group 0, 14% group B, and 4% group AB. These figures are very similar t o our results, where no significant statistical differences could be demonstrated in blood group distribution. These results might suggest that no further effort should be made t o study the relationship of prostatic cancer and blood types. On the other hand, since all the patients in this national study were in Stage D, relapsing after hormonal therapy, it is possible that a relationship may be found in other clinical stages or histological grades of prostatic cancer.
TABLE I. Percentage of Prostatic Cancer Patients in Major Blood Groups vs Percentages of U.S. Population in the Same Groups
Blood group
Number of patients
A B AB 0
95 33 11 125
Total
264
*Percentage 2 standard deviation, p
Percentage of cancer patients in group*
Control (U.S. population)*
35.98 f 2.95 12.5 k 2.03 4.17 If- 1.23 47.35 f 3.07
40.7770 f 0.13 9.96% f 0.08 3,12% f 0.05 45.55% f 0.13
< 0.5, insignificant.
Blood Group Distribution in Prostatic Cancer
29 1
Recent surveys suggest higher than expected risks for choriocarcinoma among women of group A married t o males af group 0, and for childhood leukemia and Hodgkin’s disease in persons with antigens in the HLA histocompatability system (Fraumeni, 1973). These data may also stimulate new efforts for detecting a relationship between prostatic cancer and the leukocyte antigen system. ACKNQW LEDGMENTS
This work was supported in part by Public Health Service Grant #CA-14716 through the National Prostatic Cancer Project, the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
REFERENCES 1. Aird, I., Bentall, H. H., Fraser Roberts, J. A. (1953). A relationship between a cancer of stomach and the ABO blood groups. Br. Med. J. 1:799. 2. Aird, I., Lee, D. R., Fraser Roberts, J. A. (1960). ABO blood groups and cancer of oesophagus, cancer of pancreas, and pituitary adenoma. Br. Med. J. 1:1163. 3. Bourke, J. B., Griffin, J. P. (1962). Blood groups in benign and malignant prostatic hypertrophy. Lancet 2: 1279. 4. Cameron, J. M. (1958). Blood-groups in tumours of salivary tissue. Lancet 1:239. 5. Fraumeni, J. F., Jr. (1973). Genetic factors. In J. F. Holland and E. Frei (eds.): “Cancer Medicine.” Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, Chapter 13. 6. Helmbold, W. (1958). Relationships between ABO blood groups and genital carcinoma in women. Program of The Seventh Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion, Rome, p. 34. 7. Hervey, G. W., Diamond, L. K., Watson, V. (1951). Geographic blood groups variability in the United States. JAMA 145:80. 8. Whitmore, W. F., Jr. (1956). Hormone therapy in prostatic cancer; Symposium on hormones and cancer therapy. Am. J. Med. 21:697. 9. Wynder, E. L., Mabuchi, K., Whitmore, W. F. (1971). Epidemiology of cancer of the prostate. Cancer 28:344.
Blood Group Distribution in Prostatic Cancer Patients ...................................................................................... ...................................................................................... ZEW WAJSMAN, M.D., JACK SAROFF, Ph.D., and GERALD P. MURPHY, M.D., D.Sc. Blood group distribution in 264 Stage D relapsing patients from the National Prostatic Cancer Project was analyzed. No significant differences were found in distribution of blood groups in prostatic cancer patients as compared to the control population. This study does not support the observation of others of a relationship between blood group A and susceptibility to carcinoma of the prostate. Other patient groups may, however, be of value in searching for this relationship.
....................................................................................... ....................................................................................... Key words: cancer, prostate, blood group
INTRODUCTION For some time efforts have been made to establish a relationship between blood groups and the incidence of prostatic cancer. Some conflicting reports have been published (Bourke and Griffin, 1962; Wynder et al., 1971). In the present review an analysis of blood group distribution among 264 patients from the National Prostatic Cancer Project is reported and the literature reviewed. Since these patients were observed at five centers scattered throughout the United States, this afforded an opportunity t o review this problem in a more comprehensive manner.
METHODS Two hundred sixty-four patients with proven Stage D carcinoma of the prostate were studied. The results were compared to a control blood group distribution of the United States population (Hervey et al., 1951).
From Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York Coauthors in this study by The National Prostatic Cancer Project were: Douglas E. Johnson, M.D., M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston, Texas; William W. Scott, M.D., Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland; Robert P. Gibbons, M.D., Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington; George R. Prout, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; and Joseph D. Schmidt, M.D., University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa.
289
0 1977 Alan R. Liss, Inc., 150 F i f th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
290
Wajsman, Saroff, and Murphy
RESULTS
Of the 264 prostatic cancer patients, 35.98% had blood group A, while in the general population, 40.77% belong t o group A. There were 47.35% cancer patients with blood group 0 as compared to 45.55% in the control group, and 12.5% cancer patients with blood group B, compared t o 9.9% in the control group. There were 4.1 7% cancer patients with the AB group and 3.72% of this blood group in the controls. These results had no statistical significance (Table I). DISCUSSION Genetic determinants in neoplasia may be reflected by relationship with certain blood types. People of blood group A have been reported t o have increased susceptibility t o carcinoma of the stomach (Aird et al., 1953), uterine cancer (Helmbold, 1958), salivary gland tumors (Cameron, 1958), and carcinoma of the pancreas (Aird, 1960). Bourke and Griffin (1972) have analyzed the blood group distribution in benign hypertrophy and prostatic cancer patients. In the 224 patients studied by them, no significant association between benign prostatic hypertrophy and a specific blood group was found, although there was definite relationship reported between prostatic cancer and blood group A. The frequency of blood group A was 50.4% against the expected 42.4%. These authors also found that the patients of blood group A with prostatic cancer presented clinically at an earlier age when compared to those with other blood groups. Wynder, Mabuchi, and Whitmore (1 971) in contrast to previous reports, reported blood type distribution in prostatic cancer patients similar to that of the New York City population: 35% of the patients were group A, 47% group 0, 14% group B, and 4% group AB. These figures are very similar t o our results, where no significant statistical differences could be demonstrated in blood group distribution. These results might suggest that no further effort should be made t o study the relationship of prostatic cancer and blood types. On the other hand, since all the patients in this national study were in Stage D, relapsing after hormonal therapy, it is possible that a relationship may be found in other clinical stages or histological grades of prostatic cancer.
TABLE I. Percentage of Prostatic Cancer Patients in Major Blood Groups vs Percentages of U.S. Population in the Same Groups
Blood group
Number of patients
A B AB 0
95 33 11 125
Total
264
*Percentage 2 standard deviation, p
Percentage of cancer patients in group*
Control (U.S. population)*
35.98 f 2.95 12.5 k 2.03 4.17 If- 1.23 47.35 f 3.07
40.7770 f 0.13 9.96% f 0.08 3,12% f 0.05 45.55% f 0.13
< 0.5, insignificant.
Blood Group Distribution in Prostatic Cancer
29 1
Recent surveys suggest higher than expected risks for choriocarcinoma among women of group A married t o males af group 0, and for childhood leukemia and Hodgkin’s disease in persons with antigens in the HLA histocompatability system (Fraumeni, 1973). These data may also stimulate new efforts for detecting a relationship between prostatic cancer and the leukocyte antigen system. ACKNQW LEDGMENTS
This work was supported in part by Public Health Service Grant #CA-14716 through the National Prostatic Cancer Project, the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
REFERENCES 1. Aird, I., Bentall, H. H., Fraser Roberts, J. A. (1953). A relationship between a cancer of stomach and the ABO blood groups. Br. Med. J. 1:799. 2. Aird, I., Lee, D. R., Fraser Roberts, J. A. (1960). ABO blood groups and cancer of oesophagus, cancer of pancreas, and pituitary adenoma. Br. Med. J. 1:1163. 3. Bourke, J. B., Griffin, J. P. (1962). Blood groups in benign and malignant prostatic hypertrophy. Lancet 2: 1279. 4. Cameron, J. M. (1958). Blood-groups in tumours of salivary tissue. Lancet 1:239. 5. Fraumeni, J. F., Jr. (1973). Genetic factors. In J. F. Holland and E. Frei (eds.): “Cancer Medicine.” Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, Chapter 13. 6. Helmbold, W. (1958). Relationships between ABO blood groups and genital carcinoma in women. Program of The Seventh Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion, Rome, p. 34. 7. Hervey, G. W., Diamond, L. K., Watson, V. (1951). Geographic blood groups variability in the United States. JAMA 145:80. 8. Whitmore, W. F., Jr. (1956). Hormone therapy in prostatic cancer; Symposium on hormones and cancer therapy. Am. J. Med. 21:697. 9. Wynder, E. L., Mabuchi, K., Whitmore, W. F. (1971). Epidemiology of cancer of the prostate. Cancer 28:344.
