Why Do Epidemiologic Studies Find an Inverse Association Between Intraprostatic Inflammation and Prostate Cancer: A Possible Role for Colliding Bias?
Marvin E LangstonKaren S SfanosSaira KhanTrang Q NguyenAngelo M De MarzoElizabeth A PlatzSiobhan SutcliffePublished in: Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology (2022)
Inflammation is an emerging risk factor for prostate cancer based largely on evidence from animal models and histopathologic observations. However, findings from patho-epidemiologic studies of intraprostatic inflammation and prostate cancer have been less supportive, with inverse associations observed in many studies of intraprostatic inflammation and prostate cancer diagnosis. Here, we propose collider stratification bias as a potential methodologic explanation for these inverse findings and provide strategies for conducting future etiologic studies of intraprostatic inflammation and prostate cancer.