[The value of the serum level of the prostate-specific antigen in prostatic pathology]

Abstract

Development of serum assays for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has provided physicians with a new marker for carcinoma of the prostate. PSA was compared to prostate acid phosphatases (PAP), the reference serum marker, in 162 patients including 54 patients with carcinoma of the prostate (CP), 84 patients with benign hypertrophy of the prostate (BHP), and 24 controls free of prostate disorders. PSA appeared more sensitive but less specific than PAP. Results showed that PSA is not suitable for routine screening in the population at large where BHP is common. In BPH, the rise in PSA concentrations parallels the size of the hypertrophy. However, in patients with CP, PSA seems more sensitive than PAP for evaluating tumor spread and response to treatment. The prognostic bearing of increased levels in patients with apparently localized carcinomas remains to be elucidated.