Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) refers to a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. The prevalence of BPH and prostate cancer both increase with advancing age, and there are a number of overlapping features between these conditions, including hormone-dependent growth and increased PSA levels. Moreover, inflammation and metabolic syndrome are common risk factors and variants of several genes are associated with an increased risk of both conditions.[1][2]
The relationship between BPH and prostate cancer is not fully understood. Conflicting findings are common, but meta-analyses of observational studies tend to report an increased risk of prostate cancer with BPH.[3][4] However, a causal link between these conditions is far from established, and the association may be explained by the mere coexistence of two very common conditions,[5] rather than BPH being a risk factor for prostate cancer.