Study population

565 men who received a prostate biopsy at the University Hospital Heidelberg between June 2021 and December 2023 were recruited for supplementary clinical and, if a preoperative blood sample had to be taken and patient consent was given, laboratory values assessment. They were eligible for study inclusion in case of suspicion of PC with a PSA level ≥ 3 ng/ml and/or suspicious DRE and no previous treatment for PC. Additionally, 13 healthy men with a PSA < 2.5 ng/ml who presented to the Urology Clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital for benign conditions, were recruited to enlarge the healthy control group. Data was collected prospectively, and institutional review board approval was obtained (S-130/2021). Clinical information regarding family history (defined as having a first-degree relative with PC), lifestyle, etc. was assessed via questionnaire. Laboratory parameters included, among others, lipid metabolism, inflammatory markers, hormones, and obtaining informed consent, blood samples were collected via vein puncture between 8 and 11 AM in fasting patients. All blood samples were analyzed in the central laboratory of Heidelberg University Hospital, in addition to the standard preoperative lab values. The central laboratory of Heidelberg University Hospital has been accredited according to DIN EN ISO 15189 since 2005.