Title: Association Between Prostate-Specific Antigen Levels, Age, and Gleason Score Among Patients with Prostate Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Mohamed Siddig Mohamed Elbashir , Mohammed Siddig Abd El Aziz, Ahmed Ibn Edriss Mohamed, Abdalraheem Ali Babiker, Mamoun Eltayeb, Gwarer khaleefa, Abuagla Mustafa, Ameera Shamsaldeen, Mubarak Ahmed Elshafee, Hani M. Abdalla
Volume: 10
Issue: 5
Pages: 275-279
Publication Date: 2026/05/28
Abstract:
Background: Prostate cancer continues to be a leading source of cancer-related morbidity and mortality, and it is one of the most common cancers among men globally. The diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of prostate cancer depend heavily on Gleason grading and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between serum PSA levels, age, and Gleason score among patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 prostate cancer patients attending National Cancer Institute at wad Madani, Gezira state, Sudan during the period between 2023 - 2024. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Variables included age groups, PSA levels, and Gleason scores. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation analysis were used to assess associations between variables. Results: The majority of patients were aged 61-70 years (47%), followed by 71-80 years (32%) and 50-60 years (21%). PSA categories revealed that 20% of patients had PSA levels within the grey zone (4-10 ng/mL), 38% had PSA levels suggestive of probable prostate cancer (11-20 ng/mL), and 42% had PSA levels suggestive of metastatic tumor (>20 ng/mL). Gleason score distribution demonstrated that Gleason score three was the most common (42%), followed by score five (19%), score two (18%), score four (16%), and score one (5%). Mean PSA levels increased slightly with age but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.589). Similarly, PSA levels across Gleason score groups showed no statistically significant variation (P = 0.281). Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated a weak positive correlation between age and PSA (r = 0.124, P = 0.219), a very weak positive correlation between age and Gleason score (r = 0.040, P = 0.696), and a statistically significant weak negative correlation between PSA and Gleason score (r = ?0.213, P = 0.033). Conclusion: The results show that patients with prostate cancer frequently have increased PSA values, especially those in older age groups. A strong negative connection was seen between PSA and Gleason score, however neither age nor Gleason score categories were substantially correlated with PSA levels. PSA testing is still a crucial clinical indicator for assessing and tracking prostate cancer.