[Significance of current bio- and molecular-markers in urological cancers]

Abstract

In order to reconfirm their diagnostic and predictive significance, bio- and molecular-markers of urological cancers (prostate, urothelial, kidney, and testicular cancer) are reviewed. In prostate cancer, although prostatic specific antigen (PSA) is a gold standard marker for its screening and monitoring, recent studies have revealed that PSA-related markers have additional information for patients with a gray zone PSA score. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) may provide new applications for detection of high-grade cancer or microscopic circulating prostate cancer cells in the blood. In urothelial cancers, several urinary markers are available and may be helpful in the diagnosis of lower-grade urothelial cancers, which have a low sensitivity of urinary cytology. In testicular cancer, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are essential markers not only to determine the tumor stage but also the prognosis of the patient. In renal cell carcinoma (RCC), unfortunately, no definitive biomarker is available for its diagnosis and monitoring. Thus, we must find new specific bio- and molecular-markers that reflect the biological activity of RCC.