Hand Patterns and Prostate Cancer possibly linked: Says a Study done in Mangalore

-Media Release

Mangalore, Apr 4, 2014 : Prostate Cancers have been showing an increasing trend in the elderly age group. It’s a cross sectional study which measures the index and ring finger length in patients with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is a hormonally driven and a regulated disease, but studies have failed to detect associations between a single measure of hormone levels in adulthood and prostate cancer risk (Roddam et al, 2008). Two recent studies have aimed to assess whether 2D: 4D is associated with prostate cancer (Jung et al, 2011; Rahman et al, 2011). Both of these studies concluded that low 2D : 4D, and thereby high prenatal testosterone, is a marker of increased risk of prostate cancer. Although its exact etiology is currently unknown, it has been correlated to factors such as age, race, familial history and hormone exposure (Hsing, Chokkalingam, 2010).

 
A sample size of 27 patients between 50 and 80 years were included in the study all subjects who were diagnosed by clinical and histological analysis were currently under treatment follow-up. They were subjected to measurement of their index and ring finger after having obtained their prior consent.
 
 
The mean of ring finger being taller than index finger in patients with prostatic lesion allows to infer that, there could be a possibility of exploring the digits length which will invariably add to the etiological factor  of research in prostate cancer and a need for a larger multi centric study may concretize the etiological finding and necessary education & prevention can be met in an Indian context. Hand pattern might represent a simple marker for prostate cancer risk, particularly in men age above 60 years. Further research is required to clarify any association between 2D: 4D and prostate cancer, especially for younger men under 60 years.
 
 
The authors of the paper were Dr Mohammad Ashraf, Associate Professor of Medicine, Father Muller Medical College, Dr Thomas Mohan, Medicine Post Graduate Candidate, and Dr Edmond Fernandes, previously house surgeon, Father Muller Medical College.