NARROW SHOULDERS AND PROSTATE CANCER

Report #7252

What do narrow shoulders in men and prostate cancer have in common? According to a study from Duke University in North Carolina, plenty.

Women whose bodies produce the most female hormone, estrogen and start puberty early are the ones most likely to develop breast cancer. We do not know whether men whose bodies produce the most male hormone, testosterone, are most likely to suffer prostate cancer. Measurable signs of high testosterone levels include male- pattern baldness, high blood levels of testosterone and narrow shoulders. In a recent study, Dr. Wendy Demark-Wahnefried of Duke University showed that men are at increased risk for prostate cancer when they have high blood levels of free testosterone and narrow shoulders, but she was unable to show that male pattern baldness on the top of the head is associated with prostate cancer. Narrow shoulders are a sign of early puberty and earlier onset of high blood testosterone levels. At puberty, a boy's body produces large amounts of testosterone which stops bone growth forever. So early puberty limits the width of shoulders. Late puberty give the shoulder bones a longer time to grow and is associated with wider shoulders. Now you know why prostate cancer is associated with high blood levels of free testosterone and narrow shoulders.

By Gabe Mirkin, M.D., for CBS Radio News