CORRELATION OF SERUM ZINC WITH GLEASON SCORE AS A MARKER FOR PROSTATE CANCER AGGRESSIVENESS IN JOS.

The study examined the relationship between serum zinc levels and prostate cancer aggressiveness measured by Gleason score. The research included 42 patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer. The mean age of participants was 67.12 years. High-grade disease (Gleason 8) occurred in 57.1% of patients. The median serum zinc concentration was 71.5 micrograms per deciliter. Results showed a statistically significant inverse correlation between zinc levels and Gleason score - lower zinc levels were associated with higher Gleason scores. Reduced serum zinc independently predicted high-grade prostate cancer even after adjusting for patient age.