Hansen's disease causes testicular failure secondarily, and because of this, it has been considered that
prostate cancer would not be found in association. Three of 14 patients with chronic
leprosy in Suruga National Sanatorium
Hansen's Disease Hospital were found to have
prostate cancer. A 72-year-old with
lepromatous leprosy was diagnosed with stage T3a
prostate cancer and treated with radical
prostatectomy after hormonal
therapy, plus irradiation. An 80-year-old with
lepromatous leprosy was diagnosed with stage T2
prostate cancer and treated with irradiation and follow up only without
hormone therapy and surgery because of his low
testosterone level and old age. An 82-year-old with
borderline leprosy was diagnosed with stage T1c
prostate cancer and because of the pathological finding of low Gleason score and his old age, he was treated with hormonal
therapy only. Two of the three cases had elevated concentrations of
follicle-stimulating hormone and
luteinizing hormone, which suggests that their
prostatic cancers might have been equivalent to be under the influence of
hormone therapy. Therefore, in aged male patients with
Hansen's disease, the
follicle-stimulating hormone,
luteinizing hormone and
testosterone concentrations should be measured, as well as that of
prostate-specific antigen, and a prostate biopsy should be also considered if the
prostate-specific antigen concentration is increased, even with
hypogonadism.